Iran's foreign minister on September 4 accused the US of being “addicted to sanctions” after Washington announced that it was targeting Tehran’s space and space research programmes.

The Americans were displaying an overreliance on sanctions and the latest punitive measures from the Trump administration would be "totally ineffective," Mohammad Javad Zarif added.

The US claims Iran is using its space agencies to disguise a programme to advance the development of its ballistic missiles.

Sanctions have been aimed at the Iran Space Agency, Iran Space Research Centre and Iranian Aeronautics Research Institute.

They follow a failed Iranian rocket launch on August 31—the third such failure this year—in which the rocket exploded on the ground. Iran claimed the satellite it was due to put in orbit had not been loaded on to the rocket by the time of the explosion.

"The United States will not allow Iran to use its space launch program as a cover to advance its ballistic missile program," US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said of the new sanctions listings.

As part of the sanctions, any assets the entities have outside of Iran are now blocked. Also, US citizens are barred from doing business with the three sanctioned agencies.

The US alleges the Iranian space agencies’ rockets are near-identical copies of those used in ballistic missiles also made by Iran. Tehran insists its missiles programme is entirely defensive in nature and that its missile research and development was not geared to build a missile that could carry a nuclear payload.

In announcing the sanctions, the US warned the international scientific community that collaborating with Iran on space launch vehicles could inadvertently help it develop its ballistic missile programme.

Iran’s Communications and Information Technology Minister, Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi took to social media to tease the US about its attempt to extend its sanctions regime to space.  

I can't even locate the US in this picture, let alone sanctions on Space!
The universe & #BrightFuture✨ belong to everyone, not to a few!

Stop imitating #Thanos, Donald Trump! pic.twitter.com/LeacqqpmJL

— MJ Azari Jahromi (@azarijahromi)

I can't even locate the US in this picture, let alone sanctions on Space!
The universe & #BrightFuture✨ belong to everyone, not to a few!

Stop imitating #Thanos, Donald Trump! pic.twitter.com/LeacqqpmJL

— MJ Azari Jahromi (@azarijahromi) September 4, 2019