Yesterday the US Treasury Department announced sanctions against Iran based on that country’s violation of a UN Security Council Resolution:

President Donald Trump’s administration enacted new sanctions on Iran Friday, the first concrete action after the White House put Tehran “on notice” this week.

The Treasury Department said it was applying sanctions on 25 individuals and companies connected to Iran’s ballistic missile program and those providing support to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Qods Force. That included three separate networks linked to supporting the missile program, which the US opposes.

The moves come as punishment for the country’s test launch of a ballistic missile last weekend. National Security Adviser Michael Flynn said the move was “provocative” and in defiance of a United Nations Security Council resolution that bars Iran from taking steps on a ballistic missile program capable of launching nuclear weapons.

As surely as dark follows day, Iran has responded.

Trump’s national security adviser Michael Flynn said the Washington was putting Iran on notice over its “destabilising activity”, and Trump tweeted Tehran was “playing with fire”

“We are working day and night to protect Iran’s security,” head of Revolutionary Guards’ aerospace unit, Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency.

“If we see smallest misstep from the enemies, our roaring missiles will fall on their heads,” he added.

Despite the heated words, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Saturday he was not considering raising the number of U.S. forces in the Middle East to address Iran’s “misbehavior”, but warned that the world would not ignore Iranian activities.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards is holding the military exercise in Semnan province on Saturday to test missile and radar systems and to “showcase the power of Iran’s revolution and to dismiss the sanctions,” according to the force’s website.

This is really nothing more that what we wish to make of it. We’ve already imposed sanctions for their ballistic missile tests, unless we choose to ratchet up the pressure there is no reason to acknowledge this acting out. Secretary of Defense James Mattis has ruled out any major deployment to the region as a reaction to the test. What we can be sure of is this: the Iranians can no more accept being ignored when they act out than can any other misbehaving toddler or tween. They will feel bound to do something to prove that we will do nothing because if they don’t power begins to sift through their fingers.