国际英语资讯:Iran warns U.S. to pay dearly for sanctions over its missile program

TEHRAN, July 19 -- Insistance on sactioning Iran over its missile program would cost "dearly" for the U.S., Commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari said Wednesday, according to Tasnim news agency.

Iran's missile power in the air, sea and land is "rapidly growing," Jafari said at a gathering of IRGC ground force commanders in the city of Mashhad in northeast of Iran.

Iran's missile power is by no means "negotiable," Jafari said warning that in case the U.S. insists on imposing sanctions against Iran's missile program, it needs to dismantle its regional bases within a range of 1000 kilometers around Iranian borders.

Iran has become a major regional and even global power thanks to the "spiritual might of the Islamic Revolution, the weapons power of the Armed Forces and the roaring missiles of the IRGC," he was quoted as saying.

Washington should be aware that it will pay dearly for any miscalculations, he stressed.

The United States slapped Tuesday sanctions on 18 entities and individuals linked to Iran's ballistic missile program and other non-nuclear activities.

The U.S. officials said Iran's ballistic missile launches are threats to the U.S. interests in the world.

The Iranian officials however unanimously call the missile tests the "inalienable right" of the country to boost deterrent power.