U.S. condemns Iran's missile tests

WASHINGTON, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Obama administration on Monday strongly condemned Iran's test-fire of long-range missiles, saying the "provocative behavior" only get Iran isolated.

A Ghadr 1 class Shahab 3 long range missile rises into the air during a test from an unknown location in central Iran Sept. 28, 2009.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Following a series of short-range missile tests, Iran on Monday test-fired the long-range Shahab-3 missile and the surface-to-surface Sajil missile, both reportedly are capable of hitting objectives in Israel, most Arab countries and southern Europe.

"I would lump any of these into the provocative nature with which Iran has acted on the world stage for a number of years," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said, urging Tehran to absorb its nuclear and missile program.

"They have one of two paths that they can take. They can continue the path that they've been on, or it can make a decision to step away from its nuclear weapons program and build confidence in the world," said Gibbs.

"To the extent that Iran wants to continue to act more like a police state or a military state than a constructive player in the region, it just will further isolate Iran," said State Department spokesman Philip Crowley.