Iran test-fires 'new missile' amid rising tensions with United States

Iran has said it has test-fired a "new missile" amid growing tensions with the United States.

Major General Hossein Salami, the head of Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard, said it was "one of the successful days of the nation".

However, he did not give any further details on the weapon or the test itself.

It comes as tensions with the United States mount and follows the unravelling of the nuclear deal with world powers.

Mr Salami said on Saturday: "Our country is always the arena for testing a variety of defence and strategic systems and these are non-stop movements towards the growth of our deterrent power.

"And yesterday was one of the succesful days for this nation."

On Thursday, Iran's president Hassan Rouhani officially revealed an Iran-made air-defence missile system, the Bavar-373.

Since 1992, Iran has developed a homegrown defence industry.

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The US re-imposed sanctions on Iran after it pulled out of the 2015 nuclear agreement over concerns about Iran's missile programme and regional influence.

The Trump administration had argued that the accord did not do enough to limit Iran's ballistic missile programme.

Additional reporting by agencies.

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