An adviser to Iran's leader Ayatollah Khamenei has said the country will not bow to US pressure as he defended a missile test.

Ali Akbar Velayati said US threats were aimed at limiting Iran's defensive capabilities.

He said: "This is not the first time that an inexperienced person (US President Donald Trump) has threatened Iran... the American government will understand that threatening Iran is useless.

"Iran does not need permission from any country to defend itself."

Iran has been formally PUT ON NOTICE for firing a ballistic missile.Should have been thankful for the terrible deal the U.S. made with them! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 2, 2017

It comes after the Trump administration put Tehran "on notice" over the missile test, with the US military warning it placed "American lives at risk".


On Thursday, President Trump tweeted: "Iran has been formally PUT ON NOTICE for firing a ballistic missile. Should have been thankful for the terrible deal the US made with them!

"Iran was on its last legs and ready to collapse until the US came along and gave it a life-line in the form of the Iran Deal: $150billion."

Retired US Army Lieutenant General Michael Flynn said Iran had defied the UN and hit out at the country's "destabilising behaviour across the Middle East".

White House: Iran now 'officially on notice'

He said: "President Trump has severely criticised the various agreements reached between Iran and the Obama administration, as well as the United Nations, as being weak and ineffective.

"Instead of being thankful to the United Stated for these agreements, Iran is now feeling emboldened."

Defence Minister Hossein Dehghan had earlier told the Tasnim news agency the test, on Sunday, was "successful", adding: "The test was not a violation of a nuclear deal with world powers or any UN resolution."

US officials had claimed the medium-range ballistic missile exploded early - after travelling 630 miles.