Washington, February 3 (RHC)-- The U.S. Treasury Department placed new sanctions on Iran Friday, the first move by the Trump administration in response to a ballistic missile test that led the White House to announce it was putting Iran "on notice." 

The sanctions were imposed on several Iranian officials and entities involved in procurement of material for the missile testing, which the administration said is not part of the 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA. 

"Iran's continued support for terrorism and development of its ballistic missile program poses a threat to the region, to our partners worldwide, and to the United States," said John Smith, acting director of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control. 

Trump's action came after U.S. National Security Advisor Michael Flynn criticized Iran over its missile test.  Flynn repeated the U.S. claims that ballistic missile tests violate a UN Security Council resolution that endorsed Iran’s nuclear deal with the world powers, including Washington. 

Iranian officials have condemned the recent provocative comments by U.S. officials on the latest missile tests as “baseless” and “provocative,” saying Tehran does not wait for permission from any foreign state to defend itself.  Iran’s defensive ballistic missile program has been a bone of contention with the West.  Tehran says its missile tests do not breach UN resolutions because they are solely for defense purposes and not designed to carry nuclear warheads. 

Arms control experts have also said that Iran’s missile tests are not banned under the nuclear agreement and the Security Council resolution, because Iran's missiles are not meant to deliver nuclear warheads.