Iran has test fired a new missile, the commander of the country’s Revolutionary Guards has said.

“Our country is always the arena for testing a variety of defence and strategic systems and these are non-stop movements towards the growth of our deterrent power,” Major General Hossein Salami said, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

Without providing any information about the missile, he said it was ”one of the successful days for this nation”.

The launch comes less than 48 hours after Iran displayed what it described as a domestically built long-range, surface-to-air missile air defence system.

It comes amid rising tensions with the US, which has blamed Iran for attacks on oil tankers operating in the region.

In photos: British-flagged tanker seized by Iran Show all 13 1 /13 In photos: British-flagged tanker seized by Iran In photos: British-flagged tanker seized by Iran A speedboat of Iran's Revolutionary Guard moving around the British-flagged oil tanker Stena Impero Tasnim News Agency/AP In photos: British-flagged tanker seized by Iran Crew members of the British-flagged tanker Stena Impero, that was seized by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz EPA/IRIB News Agency In photos: British-flagged tanker seized by Iran A satellite image of the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas reveals the presence of the seized British oil tanker, the Stena Impero on July 22 Maxar Technologies/Reuters In photos: British-flagged tanker seized by Iran Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claims to have seized Stena Impero at the Strait of Hormuz with 23 crew on board on 20 July EPA/IRIB News Agency In photos: British-flagged tanker seized by Iran Iranian Revolutionary Guards patrolling around the captured British-flagged tanker Stena Impero as it's anchored off the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas AFP/Getty In photos: British-flagged tanker seized by Iran epa07733612 A handout photo made available by Iranian state-run IRIB News Agency on 22 July 2019 shows crew members of the British-flagged tanker Stena Impero, that was seized by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz on 19 July 2019. Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claims to have seized Stena Impero at the Strait of Hormuz with 23 crew on board on 20 July 2019. EPA/IRIB NEWS AGENCY / HANDOUT HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES IRIB NEWS AGENCY / HANDOUT EPA/IRIB News Agency In photos: British-flagged tanker seized by Iran A satellite image of the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas reveals the presence of the seized British oil tanker, the Stena Impero on July 22 Maxar Technologies/Reuters In photos: British-flagged tanker seized by Iran A speedboat of the Iran's Revolutionary Guard moves around a British-flagged oil tanker Stena Impero AP In photos: British-flagged tanker seized by Iran epa07733614 A handout photo made available by Iranian state-run IRIB News Agency on 22 July 2019 shows crew members of the British-flagged tanker Stena Impero, that was seized by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz on 19 July 2019. Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claims to have seized Stena Impero at the Strait of Hormuz with 23 crew on board on 20 July 2019. EPA/IRIB NEWS AGENCY / HANDOUT HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES IRIB NEWS AGENCY / HANDOUT EPA/IRIB News Agency In photos: British-flagged tanker seized by Iran In this photo released by state-run IRIB News Agency, which aired on Monday, July 22, 2019, shows cooks in the galley of the British-flagged tanker Stena Impero that was seized by Tehran in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday. The Associated Press cannot independently verify the condition of the crew members, but in the video they looked to be in good health and it didn't appear as though they were being filmed under duress. (IRIB News Agency via AP) AP In photos: British-flagged tanker seized by Iran epa07733619 A handout photo made available by Iranian state-run IRIB News Agency on 22 July 2019 shows crew members of the British-flagged tanker Stena Impero, that was seized by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz on 19 July 2019. Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claims to have seized Stena Impero at the Strait of Hormuz with 23 crew on board on 20 July 2019. EPA/IRIB NEWS AGENCY / HANDOUT HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES IRIB NEWS AGENCY / HANDOUT EPA/IRIB News Agency In photos: British-flagged tanker seized by Iran epa07733613 A handout photo made available by Iranian state-run IRIB News Agency on 22 July 2019 shows crew members of the British-flagged tanker Stena Impero, that was seized by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz on 19 July 2019. Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claims to have seized Stena Impero at the Strait of Hormuz with 23 crew on board on 20 July 2019. EPA/IRIB NEWS AGENCY / HANDOUT HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES IRIB NEWS AGENCY / HANDOUT EPA/IRIB News Agency In photos: British-flagged tanker seized by Iran epa07733616 A handout photo made available by Iranian state-run IRIB News Agency on 22 July 2019 shows crew members of the British-flagged tanker Stena Impero, that was seized by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz on 19 July 2019. Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claims to have seized Stena Impero at the Strait of Hormuz with 23 crew on board on 20 July 2019. EPA/IRIB NEWS AGENCY / HANDOUT HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES IRIB NEWS AGENCY / HANDOUT EPA/IRIB News Agency

Iran has also seized a number of tankers making their way through the Strait of Hormuz, including the British-flagged Stena Impero, which remains in detention after it was taken last month in a commando style raid.

Tehran has announced it will soon exceed international agreed limits on its nuclear programme, while the US has stepped up sanctions on Tehran in order to curb its development of ballistic missiles and its support for proxies in Syria, Yemen, Lebanon and Iraq.

Last year, Donald Trump unilaterally pulled the US out of a 2015 nuclear deal aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear activities and the two countries have been exchanging threats and warnings since then.

Tensions also rose when Iran shot down a US military surveillance drone in the Gulf with a surface-to-air missile in June, nearly setting off a conflict with the United States.

The Islamic Republic claimed the drone was over its territory, but Washington insisted it was in international airspace.

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The US president later said he called off retaliatory attacks on three separate sites in Iran just 10 minutes before they were set to hit after learning that they would kill 150 people.

“Iran can NEVER have nuclear weapons,” Mr Trump tweeted afterwards.