The United States on Sunday announced new sanctions linked to Iran's ballistic missile program, just a day after sanctions targeting its nuclear program were lifted.
In remarks shortly before the US announcement, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani of Iran said that any new American sanctions would be "met by an appropriate response."
The US Treasury Department said in a statement that it had added five Iranian nationals and a network of companies based in the United Arab Emirates and China to an American blacklist.
It said the network had "obfuscated the end user of sensitive goods for missile proliferation by using front companies in third countries to deceive foreign suppliers" and that the five individuals had "worked to procure ballistic missile components for Iran."
Adam J. Szubin, acting under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said that "Iran's ballistic missile program poses a significant threat to regional and global security, and it will continue to be subject to international sanctions."
Rouhani, speaking at a news conference in Tehran some 90 minutes before the new US measures were announced, was asked what would happen if the United States imposed new sanctions or violated terms of the nuclear agreement.
"Any action will be met by a reaction," he said.
"If the Americans impose any measure they will receive an appropriate response."
Iran denounces new US sanctions on missile programme
Tehran (AFP) Jan 18, 2016 –
Iran on Monday denounced "illegitimate" new sanctions by the United States on its ballistic missile programme, days after Tehran's historic nuclear deal with world powers was confirmed.
"Iran's missile programme has never been designed to be capable of carrying nuclear weapons," foreign ministry spokesman Hossein Jaber Ansari said, according to the ISNA news agency.
He added that Tehran saw fresh economic sanctions as "illegitimate".
The United States announced new penalties Sunday related to Iran's ballistic missile programme after the lifting of punishing measures aimed at its atomic activities as the deal with world powers was confirmed in Vienna.
Five Iranian nationals and a network of companies based in the United Arab Emirates and China were added to an American blacklist, the US Treasury announced.
"As previously announced, the Islamic republic of Iran… responds with determination to such propaganda by accelerating its legal ballistic missile programme and boosting defence capabilities," Ansari said.
