AP Photo Iran blasts talk of new U.S. sanctions

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Thursday ordered his defense minister to accelerate his country's ballistic missile program and threatened to intensify its missile capacity as a reprisal to reports that the Obama administration is planning to impose fresh financial sanctions.

“We have never negotiated regarding our defense capabilities including our missile program & will not accept any restrictions in this regard,” Rouhani tweeted. “If US continues its illegitimate interference w/ Iran’s right to defend itself a new program will be devised to enhance missile capabilities.”


Iran early Thursday denounced U.S. plans to sanction the Islamic Republic for a recent ballistic missile test it conducted. The reported financial sanctions would be the first since Iran reached a nuclear deal with the U.S. and other world powers earlier this year.

“As we have declared to the American government … Iran’s missile program has no connection to the [nuclear] agreement,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossein Jaber Ansari said, according to state media. “Iran will resolutely respond to any interfering action by America against its defensive programs," said Jaber Ansari, who added that new sanctions would be “arbitrary and illegal.”

Following a Wall Street Journal report Wednesday that the Treasury Department is preparing to issue financial sanctions on nearly a dozen companies and individuals allegedly involved in the development of the missile program, the Obama administration confirmed that it is looking into sanctioning Iran but offered no details.

“As we've said, we've been looking for some time at options for additional actions related to Iran's ballistic missile program based on our continued concerns about its activities, including the Oct. 10 launch,” a senior administration official said in a statement late Wednesday. “We are considering various aspects related to additional designations, as well as evolving diplomatic work that is consistent with our national security interests. As always, we keep Congress informed about issues related to Iran sanctions, and will continue to do so as we work through remaining issues.”

The United Nations Security Council said Iran’s testing of a medium-range ballistic missile in October was a “clear violation” of a U.N. Security Council resolution. Iran reportedly conducted a similar missile test in November.

And while the tests may not violate the nuclear pact, Obama administration officials have pledged to punish Iran, noting that the U.S. has the right to sanction Iran over human rights abuses, sponsorship of terrorism and ballistic missile activity.

According to the Journal, Iranian officials for months have told the White House that the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, would see any financial sanctions as a violation of the nuclear agreement. Under the deal, Iran will receive billions of dollars in sanctions relief for curbing its nuclear program.

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