Trump fires tweet at Iran after missile test

Washington - The White House has issued a cryptic warning that the US will act against Iran unless it stops testing ballistic missiles and supporting Houthi rebels in Yemen.

US President Donald Trump said in a tweet on Thursday that "Iran has been put formally put on notice" for firing a ballistic missile, after his administration said on Wednesday it was reviewing how to respond to the launch.
The early morning Twitter post also said: "Should have been thankful for the terrible deal the US made with them!"
A second tweet read: "Iran was on its last legs and ready to collapse until the US.came along and gave it a life-line in the form of the Iran Deal: $150 billion? Trump has frequently criticiSed the Iran nuclear deal, calling the agreement weak and ineffective.
The White House has issued a cryptic warning that the US will act against Iran unless it stops testing ballistic missiles and supporting Houthi rebels in Yemen, but declined to say what retaliatory actions the US would pursue.
Michael Flynn, President Donald Trump's national security adviser, forcefully denounced Iran's behavior in his first public remarks since Trump took office. He accused Iran of threatening US allies and spreading instability throughout the Middle East while faulting the Obama administration for doing too little to stop the Islamic Republic.
"As of today, we are officially putting Iran on notice," Flynn said from the White House podium.
On notice for what, Flynn didn't say. Senior Trump administration officials said they were actively considering a "range of options" including economic measures and increased support for Iran's regional adversaries. The officials, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity, declined repeatedly to say whether military action was being considered.
Later Wednesday, Trump tweeted: "Iran is rapidly taking over more and more of Iraq even after the US has squandered three trillion dollars there. Obvious long ago!"
The White House also faulted Iran for backing Houthi rebels in Yemen who on Tuesday claimed a successful missile strike against a warship belonging to a Saudi-led coalition fighting to reinstall Yemen's internationally recognised government.
Administration officials said Iran was providing key support by arming, training and financing the rebels, with a goal of leveraging its relationship with the Houthis to "build a long-term presence in Yemen."
The White House said the goal in putting Iran "on notice" was to signal to Tehran that it needed to rethink its behavior. Flynn said Iran specifically violated the UN's ban on "activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using such ballistic missile technology."

• MENA