Iran denounces new US sanctions over ballistic missile program

TEHRAN, Jan 18 (KUNA) -- Iran on Monday denounced new sanctions imposed by the US over its ballistic missile program, vowing to further enhance its defense capabilities, a spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
"Iran will respond to these provocative measures by remaining firm on its ballistic missile program," the spokesperson, Hussein Jabberi Ansari said.
"The US government has decided to feed its long-standing addiction to imposing inefficient sanctions by adding the names of a number of Iranian individuals and companies to the list of its sanctions," he said.
"Iran's missile program is in no way designed to carry nuclear warheads and thus violates no international regulations," the statement noted.
Ansari also said that Iran will "closely monitor the US's commitment to the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)." The US on Sunday slapped fresh sanctions on Iran over Tehran's ballistic missile program, a day after the country emerged from years of economic isolation when world powers lifted economic sanctions against the Islamic Republic, in return for Iran's compliance with a deal to curtail its nuclear building capabilities. (end) am.nam