US Vows to Be 'Relentless' as Iran Unveils Underground Ballistic Missile Plant

Iran has presented a new ballistic missile, dubbed Dezful, capable of hitting targets at a range of 1,000 kilometres (about 621 miles), the Fars news agency reported.
Sputnik

Commenting on an unveiling ceremony that was held at an underground ballistic missile production facility for the aerospace forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), US State Department deputy spokesman Robert Palladino has called to address what he described as "Iran's blatant disregard for international norms".

"The United States will continue to be relentless in building support around the world to confront the Iranian regime's reckless ballistic missile activity, and we will continue to impose sufficient pressure on the regime so that it changes its malign behaviour — including by fully implementing all of our sanctions", he noted.

According to the spokesman, the US must bring back tougher international restrictions to deter Iran's missile programme.

The statement comes after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted that Iran's latest missile launch again proved the 2015 nuclear deal was doing nothing to stop the Islamic Republic's missile programme.

READ MORE: Iran Accuses US of Backing "Dictators, Butchers, Extremists" in Middle East

IRGC Warns Iran Will Have 'No Option' But to Grow Missile Might if Pressed by EU
In January, a number of countries, including Germany and France — signatories to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal — condemned Iran's satellite launches, accusing Iran of using ballistic missile technology and violating United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231 on the agreement.

Last May, US President Donald Trump announced that the United States would withdraw from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly referred to as the Iran nuclear deal, and would reimpose sanctions against Tehran.

Since withdrawing from the accord, the Trump administration has taken an increasingly hard line on Iran and has stepped up its effort to combat what it calls the Islamic Republic's "malign" influence across the Middle East.

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