TEHRAN, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Iran has slammed the new U.S. sanctions over the country's missile program as "hostile."
In a statement, the foreign ministry said the move to impose new economic sanctions against Tehran was "useless," and that Iran pledged to show proper response, Tasnim news agency reported on Wednesday.
"Iran will, in turn, impose new sanctions against a number of other American individuals and entities that have taken hostile steps against the Iranian nation and other Muslim nations in the region," the statement read.
The United States slapped Tuesday new sanctions on 18 entities and individuals linked to Iran's ballistic missile program and other non-nuclear activities.
The U.S. officials have said Iran's ballistic missile launches are threats to the U.S. interests in the world.
The Iranian officials, however, unanimously call the missile tests the "inalienable right" of the country to boost deterrent power.
Also, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the new U.S. sanctions against Iran "violate the spirit" of Iran's nuclear deal.
"It violates the spirit of the deal. We will look at it and see whether it violates the letter of the deal," said Zarif in an interview with CBS.
Iran will respond accordingly to this move by Washington, he added.
Iran and six world powers, including Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States, reached an agreement on the Iranian nuclear issue in July 2015 that put it on the path of sanctions relief but with more strict limits on its nuclear program.
The deal set limits on Iran's nuclear activities and allowed regular inspections of the facilities inside Iran.
In return, the United States and the European Union will suspend nuclear-related sanctions against Iran, with the lifting of all past UN Security Council sanction resolutions.
The Iranian foreign minister pointed out that fresh sanctions also further damage the already-troubled ties between Iran and the United States.
