The launch of an Iranian ballistic missile. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

The US Treasury Department slapped new sanctions on Friday on a group of Iranian entities linked to the country’s ballistic missile program, a day after the Tehran regime conducted a successful test of a missile capable of carrying a satellite into space.

The action, the Treasury Department noted, was aimed at “six Iran-based subordinates” of the Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group — said to be “central” to the Islamic Republic’s ballistic missile program.

“The US government will continue to aggressively counter Iran’s ballistic missile-related activity, whether it be a provocative space launch, its development of threatening ballistic missile systems, or likely support to Yemeni Houthi missile attacks on Saudi Arabia such as occurred this past weekend,” Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin said in a statement on Friday. “These sanctions target key entities involved in Iran’s ballistic missile program, and underscore the United States’ deep concerns with Iran’s continued development and testing of ballistic missiles and other provocative behavior.”

Meanwhile, the New York Times reported on Thursday that President Donald Trump has ordered his national security team to “find a rationale” to deem Iran as being in violation of the July 2015 nuclear deal it agreed to with six world powers.

Earlier this week, Trump told the Wall Street Journal he thought Iran was “taking advantage” of the US and that he believed the Iranians would be found to be “noncompliant” with the nuclear deal when the next 90-day review — mandated by Congress — was conducted.