US Imposes New Iran Sanctions Over Missile Tests

The U.S. imposed fresh sanctions on Iran as President Donald Trump seeks to punish Tehran for its ballistic missile program after warning the Islamic Republic that it is “playing with fire.”

In a statement Friday morning, the Treasury Department published a list of 13 individuals and 12 entities facing new restrictions, some for contributing to proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and others for links to terrorism. The entities include companies based in Tehran, United Arab Emirates, Lebanon and China.

The Trump administration has taken a hard line on Iran, banning its citizens from entering the U.S. and accusing the nation of interfering in the affairs of U.S. allies in the Middle East. While such an approach could satisfy hawks in Washington who were never comfortable with President Barack Obama’s tentative rapprochement with Iran, it could also unsettle domestic Iranian politics where President Hassan Rouhani is seeking re-election in May.

"Iran is playing with fire -- they don’t appreciate how ‘kind’ President Obama was to them. Not me!," Trump tweeted early Friday.

Iran is playing with fire - they don't appreciate how "kind" President Obama was to them. Not me!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 3, 2017

Ahead of the announcement, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said, "Iran unmoved by threats as we derive security from our people." He added later: "We will never use our weapons against anyone, except in self-defense."

Iran unmoved by threats as we derive security from our people. We'll never initiate war, but we can only rely on our own means of defense. pic.twitter.com/TxlSEL8rjj

— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) February 3, 2017

We will never use our weapons against anyone, except in self-defense. Let us see if any of those who complain can make the same statement. pic.twitter.com/xwGquvqLvb

— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) February 3, 2017

Tensions between the two sides were already escalating before the missile tests. While they didn’t contravene the nuclear accord signed in 2015 with six countries including the U.S. and Russia, the missile tests are seen by some as going against a UN Security Council resolution that enshrines the agreement.

The new sanctions aren’t directed at Iran’s nuclear program and wouldn’t directly affect the agreement forged under Obama’s administration that eased restrictions in exchange for Iran’s promise not to develop nuclear weapons, two people familiar with U.S. strategy said Thursday.

For its part, Iran has urged the U.S. not to overreact to the tests. Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan insisted they were part of Iran’s ongoing defense program and were not illegal, according to the Tasnim news agency.