By Stephane Barbier
Iran on Thursday rejected a warning from President Donald Trump over its latest missile test as unfounded and "provocative", reflecting growing tensions between Tehran and the new US administration.
Trump is a strident critic of the Islamic republic and a vocal opponent of an international deal that saw Iran curb its nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief.
He said on Thursday that Tehran was now officially "on notice" after Sunday's missile test and said all options were on the table.
"Iran has been formally PUT ON NOTICE for firing a ballistic missile.Should have been thankful for the terrible deal the U.S. made with them!" Trump tweeted, echoing similar comments by National Security Advisor Michael Flynn a day earlier.
Trump told a journalist later the same day that "nothing is off the table" when asked if military action was a possibility.
Flynn insisted that the missile test was "in defiance of UN Security Council Resolution 2231," which calls on Iran not to test missiles capable of delivering a nuclear weapon.
The remarks drew an angry response from Tehran.
"Claims made by US President Donald Trump's National Security Advisor are baseless, repetitive and provocative," Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said, quoted by state news agency IRNA.
Iran has confirmed that it tested a ballistic missile, but denied that it violated the terms of the nuclear deal.
Tehran says its missiles do not breach UN resolutions because they are for defence purposes only and are not designed to carry nuclear warheads.
The row comes against a backdrop of already difficult relations over Trump's travel ban on citizens from Iran and six other Muslim-majority countries.
Read the full story at SpaceDaily