Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has warned the European Union not to meddle with its missile development program.
The warning by IRGC Deputy Commander Hossein Salami on November 26 came as the United States is trying to get the EU to move forward with sanctions against the Tehran's missile program.
Salami was quoted by Iran's state-run ISNA news agency on November 26 as saying that, if the EU interferes with Iran's missile program, "we will also regard the Europeans as a threat and will act accordingly."
Salami noted that the range of Iran's missile arsenal has been increasing, and medium-ranged weapons with a range of 2,000 kilometers could be extended to reach Europe.
Tehran insists that its missile program is for defensive purposes only and has nothing to do with the 2015 Vienna Agreement with six world powers to curb Iran's nuclear program.
The Revolutionary Guards Corps is influential in Iran, but does not decide the country's foreign policy.
Statements from IRGC commanders are not official government viewpoints.
President Hassan Rohani has often criticized the IRGC's foreign policy statements.
