WASHINGTON — The Trump administration told Congress for a second time Monday that Iran would face consequences for breaching "the spirit" of nuclear deal.

President Donald Trump, who lambasted the 2015 pact as a candidate, gave himself more time to decide whether to scuttle it or let it stand. Instead, senior Trump administration officials sought to emphasize their deep concerns about Iran's non-nuclear behavior and vowed that those transgressions won't go unpunished.

The officials also said the US would slap Tehran with new sanctions penalizing it for developing ballistic missiles and other activity.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and "the entire administration judge that Iran is unquestionably in default of the spirit" of the agreement, one official said.

In April, when Trump made his first certification, he paired it with new sanctions for non-nuclear behavior to show there was no softening of his stance toward Iran

In its condemnation of Iran, senior officials emphasized several longstanding US concerns about Iran's ballistic missile programs, human rights abuses and support for terrorism in the region. They also criticized Iran for detaining US citizens and limiting freedom of navigation in the Arabian Gulf.

Under the deal struck by Obama and other world leaders, Iran agreed to roll back its nuclear program — long suspected of being aimed at developing atomic weapons — in return for billions of dollars in sanctions relief. The deal does not address global concerns about Iran's non-nuclear activities, but also doesn't prevent the US and others from punishing Iran for those activities. Iran remains on the State Department's list of state sponsors of terrorism for its support of anti-Israel groups.

Ex-Marines like Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis also keenly remember Iran-backed Hezbollah's attack on the corps barracks in Lebanon in 1983.

Trump and Tillerson believe "these Iranian activities severely undermine the intent of the (agreement), which was to contribute to regional and international peace and security," the US official said.

"As a result the president and the secretary of state and the entire administration judged that Iran is unquestionably in default of the spirit" of the accord, the official added. — Agencies