The foreign ministry condemned "the United States' worthless act of imposing illegal sanctions" against people linked to the programme, IRNA reported.

Tehran "will in turn apply new sanctions against American people and entities that have acted against the Iranian people and other Muslim peoples of the region," it said.

Hours after the White House admitted the Islamic republic was complying with a landmark 2015 nuclear deal, the State Department announced new sanctions against 18 individuals and entities in Iran.

They include people linked to the country's missile programme and others close to the elite Revolutionary Guard.

"The Americans... want to weaken the capabilities and strength of the Islamic regime," said General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, who heads the Guard's aerospace wing and missile programme, quoted by state TV.

"We propose reciprocal actions with a high cost.