Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister on Saturday reacted angrily to the United States' decision to impose new sanctions on his country and vowed to take action.
His comments came during an urgent meeting of a parliamentary committee to review Iran's response to the package of sanctions approved by the U.S. Senate, according to The Associated Press.
The Deputy Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi, said at the meeting that the U.S. legislation amounts to a "hostile" breach of the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers.
"A strong answer will be given to the action by the U.S.," he warned.
The U.S. legislation, which the Senate passed nearly unanimously, imposes mandatory penalties on people involved in Iran's ballistic missile program and anyone who does business with them.
It would also apply terrorism sanctions to Iran's prestigious Revolutionary Guard and enforce an arms embargo.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have blasted the sanctions, threatening to target U.S. military bases in the Middle East should the bill pass.
Separately on Friday, the U.S. Treasury imposed new sanctions targeting Iran's ballistic missile program, one day after Tehran tested a satellite-launch rocket.