Iran is all set to deploy missiles for a Revolutionary Guards exercise on Saturday as a retaliatory move, after the United States on Friday imposed sanctions on Iran for conducting ballistic missile tests last week.
US imposes new sanctions on Iran over ballistic missile test
Ever since Donald Trump assumed his position as the US president, the relations between Tehran and Washington have further deteriorated. The sanctions imposed by US on Iran have drawn an angry response from Tehran, which had said that the missile test had not breached the Iran nuclear deal, which was reached with with Obama administration and other world leaders in 2015.
The Pentagon chief James Mattis, just hours after the US sanctions were announced, said that Iran was "the single biggest state sponsor of terrorism in the world." The sanctions imposed by the US are the first in Trump's two weeks of presidency.
US officials said that the new measures taken by the federal government are in response to Iran's recent missile test and also its support for the Houthi rebels in Yemen, who had targeted a Saudi warship recently. The official, however, added that the new sanctions do not mean that America has abandoned commitments it made under the nuclear deal to lift measures aimed at Iran's nuclear programme.
Reports state that Iran's medium-range missiles can reach 2,000 kilometres (1,250 miles), sufficient to strike Israel or US bases in the Gulf. However, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said that the missiles deployed for Saturday's exercise would only be of very short range -- up to 75 kilometres (47 miles).
The Revolutionary Guards added that the demonstration was attempted to show the country's "complete preparedness to deal with the threats" and "humiliating sanctions" from Washington.
"Different types of domestically produced radar and missile systems, command and control centres, and cyber warfare systems will be used in this exercise," the Guards' website stated.
Trump has kept his displeasure at the Iran nuclear deal no secret and has voiced to dismantle it on various occasions. Trump officials added that the measures taken against Iran on Friday will not be the administration's last.
Trump also tweeted about Iran, saying that former president Barack Obama was considerably "kind" to the nation but he will not be.
"Iran is playing with fire — they don't appreciate how 'kind' President Obama was to them. Not me!," Trump had tweeted.
