Trump's comments were prompted by a reporter's question about whether military action had been ruled out following a failed ballistic missile test last weekend. National Security Advisor Gen. Michael Flynn said Wednesday the U.S. is "officially putting Iran on notice". He said the test violated a UN resolution that bars Iran from testing ballistic missiles that are "designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons".
Iran has maintained the test did not violate Security Council Resolution 2231 that was adopted days after a nuclear deal was signed by Tehran and world powers. Trump said on Twitter earlier Thursday that Iran, "Should have been thankful for the terrible deal the U.S. made with them!" referring to the nuclear accord.
"Iran was on its last legs and ready to collapse until the U.S. came along and gave it a life-line in the form of the Iran Deal: $150 billion," he said on the social media site. Under the 2015 nuclear agreement, Iran was given access to $100 billion of its own funds, but the U.S. did not give it any money.
Trump and Flynn have urged a more aggressive posture toward Iran.