Washington D.C. [U.S.]: In the wake of the missile test by Tehran, the United States is likely to impose additional sanctions on Iran under existing executive orders that predate President Donald Trump.
Citing sources familiar with the move, the CNN reports that the additional sanctions are in response to Iran’s ballistic missile test Sunday.
They are similar to actions taken by former President Barack Obama after Iran’s previous ballistic missile tests.
In a letter to Trump, a bipartisan group of senators said “Iranian leaders must feel sufficient pressure to cease deeply destabilizing activities, from sponsoring terrorist groups to continued testing of ballistic missiles.”
“Full enforcement of existing sanctions and the imposition of additional sanctions on Iran for its ballistic missile program are necessary,” the letter said.
Trump National Security Adviser Michael Flynn condemned Wednesday Iran’s recent ballistic missile test launch, calling it a “provocative” breach of a UN Security Council resolution. Iran denies that’s it’s violated any UN mandate.
However, Iranian adviser, Ali Akbar Velayati, dismissed what he called the US leader’s “baseless ranting” and said that even Americans were not satisfied with “Trump’s extremism,” according to Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency.
Speaking to reporters Thursday in Tehran, Velayati blasted Trump as lacking sufficient experience, saying he should take lessons from his predecessor, Barack Obama and asserted that all test-fired missiles were defensive and that Iran did not need to seek permission to carry out such activities. (ANI)