Republican lawmakers said Thursday they would introduce new sanctions against Iran, if the Obama administration fails to do it.

"If the administration will not impose tougher sanctions ... we're going to be introducing sanctions legislation that I'm working on to impose tough new sanctions on Iran," said Sen. Kelly Ayotte .

The legislation focuses on Iran's ballistic missile program and would "hold Iran accountable for its support for terrorism," Ayotte added.

Sen. John McCain who heads the Senate Arms Services Committee said he did not expect the Obama administration to impose tougher sanctions on Iran and that lawmakers "will have to try to act as a Congress".

The move by Republicans comes just days the Obama administration announced Sunday that new sanctions would be imposed against 11 companies and individuals relating to Iran, a few hours after sanctions were lifted against Tehran following its compliance with a nuclear deal with the U.S. and world powers.

Republican lawmakers, and some Democrats, have long opposed lifting sanctions on Iran and would like to enact punitive measures against the Islamic republic for ballistic missile tests late last year they say is in violation of a UN resolution prohibiting Tehran from developing missiles capable of delivering nuclear warheads.

The Obama administration also condemned the tests, but said the matter was "entirely separate" from the nuclear deal.

Iran has defined the possession of nuclear weapons as "a sin" and denied the missiles can deliver nuclear warheads.