Iran called the new sanctions imposed by the United States on its ballistic missile program illegitimate. The Iranian government declared that they will continue nuclear missile production in response to America's 'illegal' mediation in Tehran.
The United States announced new sanctions related to Iran's ballistic missile program, reported BBC. However, Iran calls the freshly-imposed sanctions illegal. Hossein Jaber Ansari, Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson, said that the sanctions held "no legal or moral legitimacy" as the U.S. also sells weapons used in war in countries like Lebanon, Palestine, and Yemen.
The new missile-related penalties were imposed in exchange for the lifting of several international economic sanctions on Iran. According to reports, the Treasury Department bans 11 companies and individuals in the United Arab Emirates that violated a United Nations resolution by secretly supplying materials to Iran's ballistic missile program.
Ansari added that Iran's missile testing was never designed to carry nuclear weapons, said The Times of Israel. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran has controlled its nuclear undertakings.
Iran retaliates to the U.S. sanctions by saying that it will build more missiles. "The Islamic Republic of Iran... responds with determination to such propaganda by accelerating its legal ballistic missile program and boosting defense capabilities," said Ansari. Iran President Hassan Rouhani said that any actions by America will be met by appropriate reaction.
Rouhani directed the country's minister of defense, Brig. Gen. Hossein Dehghan, to quickly resume missile production to increase Iran's defense. The New York Times reported that no Iranian president will stop missile development since missiles are Iran's most powerful defensive and offensive military weapons.
Alireza Nader, a researcher and Iran expert at the Washington offices of RAND Corporation, said, "Iran was never going to stop developing missiles." General Dehghan stated that security and peace can be achieved through strength, and that is, by developing more powerful missiles.
Meanwhile, Iran's economy is expected to improve as economic sanctions against the country have been lifted. It is expected that Iran's daily 1.1 million crude oil export will increase by 500,000 barrels and over $100 billion Iranian assets will be unlocked.
