White House won't rule out additional punishing actions for Iran over ballistic missile test - with President Trump warning: 'They're not behaving'

The Trump administration made good this morning on its threats to punish Iran for its illicit ballistic missiles test.

Treasury sanctioned 13 individuals and 12 businesses Friday, several of which were based in the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon and China.

President Donald Trump press secretary suggested Friday afternoon that more sanctions, and even military action, could be on the way.

'He doesn't like to telegraph his options,' White House spokesman Sean Spicer said. 'I would never rule anything off the table,' he said of additional actions. 

Later, in the Oval Office, Trump signaled that Tehran's not in the clear yet: 'They're not behaving.' 

President Donald Trump dashed off this tweet early this morning, again raising the stake with Iran, after the Middle Eastern country tested a nuclear-capable cruise missile

Treasury sanctioned 13 individuals and 12 businesses Friday. Later, in the Oval Office, Trump signaled that Tehran's not in the clear: 'They're not behaving'

A medium-range ballistic missile was tested on Sunday in Iran and exploded after 630 miles, a US official said on Monday. The test was carried out from a site near Semnan, 140 miles east of Tehran. Pictured above is a file photo from a March 2015 ballistic missile test in Iran.

Trump's action may be the first time a head of state has used social media to threaten action against a foreign country 

The president dramatically raised the possibility of military action against Iran over its missiles test on Thursday saying 'nothing is off the table' amid reports that a new round of sanctions could be coming within hours. 

He raised the stakes in a tweet early Friday morning.

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

Trump's spokesman said of the sanctions Friday afternoon, 'We've taken these actions today after careful consideration and will continue to respond with appropriate action.'

Asked what constitutes 'appropriate action' - and whether that includes military action - Spicer said in his daily briefing that Trump 'doesn't like to telegraph his options.'

'That's how he believes he can have much greater successful options,' Spicer said. 'I'm not going to go into the full extent. I think today's sanctions really represent a very, very strong stand against the actions that Iran has been taking.' 

Spicer refused to say whether more punishing actions were on their way.

'I would never rule anything off the table. I think the president has made it clear throughout his time that that's what's going to happen,' he stated.

Sources had told the Associated Press that up to two dozen Iranian individuals, companies and possibly government agencies could be penalized as part of the move, officials with knowledge of the coming actions said. 

The White House had put Iran 'on notice' on Wednesday, refusing to rule out military action or sanctions in response to the ballistic missile test - something the nuclear bargain Iran struck with Barack Obama explicitly forbids.  

A Reuters source said some sanctions would be seen as a response to terrorism-related activities and others would fall under separate existing U.S. executive orders.

That would sidestep the sanctions-relieving terms of Obama's agreement with Tehran.   

It also emerged Thursday that Iran has tested a cruise missile called 'Sumar' that is capable of carrying nuclear weapons.

The development was reported by German newspaper Die Welt reported Thursday, citing unspecified intelligence sources.

Iran’s foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Friday, in response to the coming sanctions, 'Iran is unmoved by threats as we derive security from our people.

'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,' he said over Twitter.

Iran had previously said it would ignore the United States' 'useless' threats, belittling Trump as 'an inexperienced person.'

Trump inserted himself into the sanctions conversation Thursday morning when he used social media to issue an explicit warning to Tehran.

'Iran has been formally PUT ON NOTICE for firing a ballistic missile,' the president wrote on Twitter. 'Should have been thankful for the terrible deal the U.S. made with them!'

'Iran was on its last legs and ready to collapse until the U.S. came along and gave it a life-line in the form of the Iran Deal: $150 billion,' he added in a second tweet.

Making reference to the nuclear agreement on Friday, Trump's spokesman reiterated the administration's opposition to the terms of the Obama-era agreement.

'We make it very clear that the deal that they struck previously was not in the best interest of this country and that President Trump is going to do everything he can to make sure that Iran has stayed in check.'

Trump has been openly hostile to the terms of the Obama-Tehran nuclear deal, saying during his presidential campaign that it was 'stupid,' 'a disgrace,'' and 'the worst deal ever negotiated.' 

His tweets likely stand as the first time a head of state has used social media to threaten a foreign country. 

They were met with contempt by the Iranian regime. 

 This is not the first time that an inexperienced person has threatened Iran

 

Ali Akbar Velayati, senior counsel to Iran's supreme leader 

 

Ali Akbar Velayati said, who is a senior counsel to Iran's most powerful man Ayatollah Ali Khamenei hit back.

'This is not the first time that an inexperienced person has threatened Iran,' he said. 

'The American government will understand that threatening Iran is useless.'

Hassan Rouhani, Iran's president, warned Trump that it 'will cost the US a lot' for its novice president to ''earn what is happening in the world.'

Senator Tom Cotton, a leading foreign policy hawk, said Friday that additional sanctions on Iran 'are long overdue, and they're sending the right message' to Tehran: 'Cease and desist immediately.'

'The president said we were putting Iran on notice, and I’m glad to see he’s as good as his word,' the Republican lawmaker said. 'Iran’s ayatollahs will stop their provocations only if the U.S. shows strength and resolve.'

The report of a cruise missile test in the German newspaper said the Sumar cruise missile was built in Iran and traveled around 375 miles in its first known successful test.

The missile is believed to be capable of carrying nuclear weapons and may have a range of 1,200 to 1,800 miles, the paper said, citing intelligence sources.

Cruise missiles are harder to counter than ballistic missiles since they fly at lower altitudes and can evade enemy radar, confounding missile defense missiles and hitting targets deep inside an opponent's territory.

But the biggest advantage from Iran's point of view, a security expert told Die Welt, was that cruise missiles are not mentioned in any United Nations resolutions that ban work on ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons.

There has been no explicit response from Iran or from Washington on the cruise missile disclosure. 

However, Trump's National Security Advisor had issued his own stern warning to Tehran's mullahs on Wednesday.

 

A senior leader to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's most powerful figure, said America's threats were useless and that Iran did not need permission to defend itself.

Gen. Michael Flynn told reporters during a White House press briefing that the administration 'condemns such actions by Iran that undermine security, prosperity and stability throughout and beyond the Middle East that puts American lives at risk.'

'As of today, we are officially putting Iran on notice,' he said.

It wasn't clear what that notice means, or what consequences Iran can expect if it continues to test missiles that are capable of carrying nuclear warheads. 

Senior administration officials wouldn't rule out military action or sanctions during a separate briefing with reporters that came later. 

Officials said 'a large number of options' are being considered and would not reveal what those are other than to say that they include financial and economic actions.

'We are considering a whole range of options. We are in a deliberative process,' one said. 

Flynn said that 'Iran is now feeling emboldened,' and criticized the Obama administration for failing 'to respond adequately to Tehran's malign actions, including weapons transfers, support for terrorism and other violations of international norms.' 

Administration officials, speaking on background to reporters, said Wednesday afternoon that the Republican president was taking a 'different perspective' from his predecessor's.

'Iranian behavior needs to be rethought by Tehran,' one said. 

An official added that 'there should be no doubt that the United States is committed to holding Iran accountable for adhering to missile restrictions and accountable for behavior in the region that we consider to be destabilizing.' 

Iran, Republicans say, has built up its nuclear capabilities despite signing on to a multilateral deal designed to produce the opposite outcome. 

A defense official said this week that the Iranian missile test ended with a 'failed' re-entry into the earth's atmosphere. 

The suggestion that the missile was designed to return to earth supports the contention that it was a test of an attack vehicle, not a rocket meant to launch satellites into space. 

The official had no other details, including the type of missile, but spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

Flynn said pointedly that Iran's action is 'in defiance of UN Security Council Resolution 2231.'

That international consensus demands that Iran not 'undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using such ballistic missile technology.'

The White House said Monday that it was studying information about the ballistic missile test. 

 FLYNN PUTS IRAN 'ON NOTICE' 

National Security Advisor Michael Flynn delivered a statement on Wednesday during the White House's daily press briefing: 

'Recent Iranian actions, involving a provocative ballistic missile launch and an attack against a Saudi naval vessel conducted by Iran-supported Houthi militants, underscore what should have been clear to the international community all along about Iran's destabilizing behavior across entire the Middle East.

'The recent ballistic missile launch is also in defiance of UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which calls upon Iran 'not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using such ballistic missile technology.'

'These are just the latest of a series of incidents in the past six months in which Houthi forces that Iran has trained and armed have struck Emirati and Saudi vessels, and threatened United States and allied vessels transiting the Red Sea. In these and other similar activities, Iran continues to threaten U.S. friends and allies in the region.

'The Obama Administration failed to respond adequately to Tehran's malign actions, including weapons transfers, support for terrorism and other violations of international norms. The Trump Administration condemns such actions by Iran that undermine security, prosperity, and stability throughout and beyond the Middle East and place – which places American lives at risk.

'President Trump has severely criticized the various agreements reached between Iran and the Obama Administration, as well as the United Nations, as being weak and ineffective.

'Instead of being thankful to the United States in these agreements, Iran is now feeling emboldened.

'As of today, we are officially putting Iran on notice. Thank you.'

The White House sent several officials to brief reporters a hours later. 

'We can confirm that Iran conducted a launch of a medium-range missile, the Shahab, and that launch was on 29 January. The launch we view as being highly provocative,' an official said. 'This affects us all and is a destabilizing factor in the region.'

Iran is the subject of a United Nations Security Council resolution prohibiting tests of ballistic missiles designed to deliver a nuclear warhead. 

As part of the 2015 nuclear deal, the U.N. ban was prolonged by eight years, although Iran has flaunted the restriction.

State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the U.S. was looking into whether the ballistic missile test violates the U.S. Security Council resolution.

'When actions are taken that violate or are inconsistent with the resolution, we will act to hold Iran accountable and urge other countries to do so as well,' Toner said.

Sen. Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, condemned Iran for the missile test.

'No longer will Iran be given a pass for its repeated ballistic missile violations, continued support of terrorism, human rights abuses and other hostile activities that threaten international peace and security,' Corker, a Republican from Tennessee, said in a written statement.

Iranian-backed rebels in Yemen, meanwhile, claimed a successful missile strike against a warship in the Red Sea belonging to the Saudi-led coalition that is fighting alongside Yemen's internationally recognized government. 

Video footage shown on the rebels' al-Masirah television on Monday shows a warship being hit and a fire on board starting as a man not shown in the video shouts the rebels' trademark chant of 'Allahu akbar [God is greatest], death to America, death to Israel, a curse on the Jews and victory for Islam.'

The media arm of the Shiite rebels, also known as the Houthis, said the vessel was believed to belong to the Saudi Arabian navy.