Iran's missile, drone program among targets of upcoming US sanctions: White House

WASHINGTON -- The White House on Tuesday announced the decision to impose new sanctions on Iran with measures including punishing the Islamic Republic's missile and drone program.

"In the coming days, the United States will impose new sanctions targeting Iran, including its missile and drone program as well as new sanctions against entities supporting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Iran's Defense Ministry," US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement.

The announcement came after Iran carried out a massive military operation against Israel on Saturday, in which hundreds of missiles and drones were launched. Tehran said the attack was a response to the Israeli strike on the consular section of the Iranian embassy in the Syrian capital city of Damascus on April 1, which killed seven Iranians, including two veteran commanders.

Sullivan's announcement followed a similar one made earlier in the day by US Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, who didn't elaborate much on the detail at a press conference ahead of the unveiling of this year's Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

Despite the Washington's harsh condemnation of Iran's attack against Israel, local media reports suggest that the US government only resorts to diplomatic and economic tools in response, out of fear that any use of force might lead to the conflict in the Middle East escalating to a degree where it becomes uncontrollable.