黑料社

WASHINGTON, United States鈥擨ran tested a ballistic missile last month, a U.S. official said Tuesday, describing the second such test since the nuclear agreement in July. The State Department said it was conducting a 鈥渟erious review鈥� of such reports.

The test occurred Nov. 21, according to the official, coming after an Oct. 10 test that Iran confirmed at the time. The official said other undeclared tests occurred earlier than that, but declined to elaborate. The official wasn鈥檛 authorized to speak on the matter and demanded anonymity.

Ballistic missiles are especially sensitive with Iran because they could provide the delivery system for a nuclear warhead. As part of nuclear negotiations with world powers, Iran accepted an eight-year extension of a U.N. ban on its ballistic missile program.

The November test was first reported by Fox 黑料社, which said a mid-range missile with a range of 1,200 miles (1,930 kilometers) was launched from a known site near the Gulf of Oman.

The test may reflect an effort by Iranian hardliners to derail the nuclear pact, coming on top of the recent arrests of an American citizen and U.S. resident and reports that Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian was sentenced to an unspecified prison term following an espionage conviction.

According to the official, the U.S. assesses that hardliners opposing the nuclear deal struck by Iran鈥檚 moderate President Hassan Rouhani may be trying to provoke the United States into authorizing new sanctions against Iran and raising tensions between Washington and Tehran. Top Iranian officials have vowed to respond to any new forms of economic pressure from the West.

State Department spokesman John Kirby refused to confirm the test.

鈥淲e鈥檙e conducting a serious review of this reported incident,鈥� Kirby told reporters. He added, 鈥淚f the reports are confirmed and if there is a violation of any relevant U.N. Security Council resolution, then we鈥檙e going to take the appropriations actions.鈥�

He stressed that ballistic missile activity wasn鈥檛 a violation of the July deal that imposed more than a decade of restrictions on Iran鈥檚 nuclear program in exchange for hundreds of billions of dollars in potential relief from international sanctions. He said the U.S. would monitor Tehran for 鈥渄estabilizing鈥� behavior, and that is 鈥渨hy we have a robust military presence in the region, and it鈥檚 why we still have and will remain capable of having unilateral sanctions.鈥�

After the October test, President Barack Obama noted that Iran has often violated missile prohibitions. He said the U.S. would make clear to Iran that there are costs for bad behavior, but stressed that the issue was separate from nuclear arms control.

READ: US says Iran missile test may have broken UN rules

On Nov. 24, the U.S., Britain and France pressed Iran for a formal explanation at the United Nations.

In Washington, the administration is still studying a possible response of its own.

Officials with knowledge of the process said the Iranian individuals and organizations involved with the test are already penalized under American sanctions law, and said the government was still identifying potential targets.

Sen. Bob Corker, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, criticized the Obama administration鈥檚 lack of response to Iran鈥檚 鈥渞epeated ballistic missile tests.鈥� Iran, he said Tuesday, 鈥渒nows neither this administration nor the U.N. Security Council is likely to take any action.鈥�

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