US sanctions: Iran responds with missile test to ‘showcase power’

Iran has carried out missile and radar tests — a day after the United States imposed sanctions on it for conducting a ballistic missile test.

On Saturday, Iran’s revolutionary guard said the military exercise was a response to “threats and sanctions” by the US.

Iran’s revolutionary guard’s website said the military exercise in Semnan province was to “showcase the power of Iran’s revolution and to dismiss the sanctions.”

Criticising the sanctions, Iran said it would not allow its domestic security become the focus of international debate.

“The amateur and irrational policies of the new US administration will change nothing about the principles of Iranian politics,” the Iranian foreign ministry said in a statement.

Last Sunday, Iran had tested a medium-range missile, which the US considered a “provocative breach” of a United Nations (UN) security council.

Michael Flynn, national security adviser to President Donald Trump, said instead of being thankful to the US for the nuclear deal, “Iran is now feeling emboldened.”

“As of today, we are officially putting Iran on notice,” Flynn had said.

Reacting, Hossein Dehghan, Iran’s defence minister, had said: “The recent test was in line with our plans and we will not allow foreigners to interfere in our defence affairs. The test did not violate the nuclear deal or the [UN] resolution 2231.”

The sanctions on Iran target 13 people and 12 companies in China, Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) respectively.

On Friday, John Smith, the US treasury department’s acting sanctions chief, complained about Iran’s missile programme and its support of terrorism.

“Iran’s continued support for terrorism and development of its ballistic missile programme poses a threat to the region, to our partners worldwide and to the United States.”