TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — The head of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard says the country's supreme leader has limited the range of ballistic missiles it makes to 2,000 kilometers, or 1,240 miles.

The comments by Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari to reporters on Tuesday mark the first acknowledgement that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has imposed limits on the country's ballistic missile program.

The remarks come as Iran's nuclear deal with world powers is threatened by President Donald Trump's refusal to re-certify the accord. The Trump administration has also sanctioned Iran for test-firing of ballistic missile.

The range of 2,000 kilometers would encompass much of the Middle East, including Israel and American bases in the region. Iran often says that its ballistic missile program is only for defensive purposes against regional adversaries.