The Trump administration hit Iran with new sanctions Friday, one day after President Trump said he had put Tehran “on notice” for testing a missile.
The administration imposed economic sanctions against 13 Iranian individuals and 12 companies in response to the Islamic republic’s recent ballistic missile test that the White House says violated a U. N. Security Council resolution.
The sanctions — announced by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets control — block anyone with assets in U. S. markets from doing business with the designated Iranian individuals and entities.
Speaker Paul D. Ryan said the “swift and decisive response proves that our new administration is serious about holding the Iranian regime accountable for its illicit behavior.”
“ Iran ’s latest ballistic missile test was a flagrant violation of U. N. Security Council resolutions,” the Wisconsin Republican said. “I applaud President Trump for imposing new sanctions to crack down on Tehran ’s dangerous ballistic missile program and support for terrorism across the globe.”
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce, California Republican, said Iran ’s action poses “a direct threat to the United States and our allies.”
“I’m glad the administration is taking long-overdue steps to hold the regime accountable,” Mr. Royce said. “I look forward to working with the administration to build on these designations, push back against Iran ’s destructive policies, and promote stability in the Middle East.”
Some of those on the sanctions list are based in the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon and China. The penalties were imposed under existing authority that had been issued by then-President Barack Obama. A bipartisan group of senators had urged Mr. Trump in a letter Thursday to take action against Iran.
“Iranian leaders must feel sufficient pressure to cease deeply destabilizing activities, from sponsoring terrorist groups to continued testing of ballistic missiles,” the lawmakers wrote. “Full enforcement of existing sanctions and the imposition of additional sanctions on Iran for its ballistic missile program are necessary.”
Friday’s announcement followed days of aggressive rhetoric from the Trump administration toward Iran , which U. S. officials say conducted a ballistic missile test Sunday, violating U. N. Security Council resolution 2231.
The resolution, which was adopted in 2015 to make the nuclear accord with Iran official, included an annex calling on Iran not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using such ballistic missile technology.
The new slate of sanctions is believed to target companies and individuals involved in the production of that technology.
On Wednesday, White House national security adviser Mike Flynn said the Trump administration was putting Iran “on notice,” calling the missile test “provocative.”
The missile launch was followed by Iran -backed Houthi militants’ deadly attack this week on a Saudi naval vessel in the Red Sea.
Mr. Trump told reporters Thursday that he wasn’t ruling out the prospect of military action against Tehran.
“Nothing’s off the table,” the president said.
Iran ’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said on Twitter that the Iranian government was “unmoved” by Mr. Trump ’s warnings.
“We’ll never initiate war,” Mr. Zarif said. “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.”
Ali Akbar Velayati, a top aide to Iran leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said Thursday that Iran will continue to test ballistic missiles and “not ask any country for permission in defending itself.”
“This is not the first time that an inexperienced person has threatened Iran ,” he said. “ Iran is the strongest power in the region and has a lot of political, economic and military power. America should be careful about making empty threats to Iran.”
Mr. Trump said Friday that Iran is “playing with fire.”
“They don’t appreciate how ‘kind’ President Obama was to them,” he said on Twitter. “Not me!”
Mr. Obama signed an agreement with other world powers in 2015 to lift economic sanctions against Iran in exchange for limits on Tehran ’s nuclear program and regular international inspections.
Mr. Trump has called it a bad deal and says he wants to renegotiate parts of it.
• S. A. Miller contributed to this story.
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