Reacting to reports that Iran had tested missiles that could reach wide areas of the Middle East, presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain called for tough sanctions against the Tehran regime.

"I am convinced that our European allies and friends are ready to impose significant, impactful and meaningful sanctions on the Iranians -- especially financial, and including trade and international financial systems and that those sanctions can be effective in modifying Iranian behavior," Mr. McCain said during a brief news conference in South Park after a tour of a Consol Energy Inc. research facility.

He said the test had been conducted by Iran's Revolutionary Guard and criticized his presidential opponent for not taking a sufficiently tough line against Iran's rulers.

"This is the same organization that I voted to condemn as a terrorist organization when an amendment was on the floor of the United States Senate," he said. "Sen. Obama refused to vote. He called it provocative, a provocative step. The fact is, this is a terrorist organization and it should have been branded as such."

Earlier, Mr. Obama had released a statement condemning the missile test. While also calling for a tough line, the Democrat called it a failure of diplomacy.

"Now is the time to work with our friends and allies and to pursue direct and aggressive diplomacy with the Iranian regime backed by tougher unilateral and multilateral sanctions," he said in a statement released by his campaign. "It's time to offer the Iranians a clear choice between increased costs for continuing their troubling behavior and concrete incentives that would come if they change course.''