U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet on Wednesday condemned Iran for conducting test-fires of ballistic missiles the country claimed could strike Israel and urged the Obama administration and the international community to hold the Islamic Republic responsible for violating a United Nations resolution.

Colorado Republicans, in turn, blasted Bennet for his support of the Iranian nuclear deal, calling his position a “disgrace” and questioning the Democrat’s judgment.

“Iran’s continued intransigence in complying with demands from the international community to cease any ballistic missile activities cannot be tolerated,” Bennet said in a statement. “The Administration and the international community should move quickly to hold Iran accountable for these actions, which stand in violation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 2231.”

An Iranian news agency reported Tuesday the country’s Revolutionary Guard fired two long-range missiles, one inscribed with the words “Israel should be wiped from the pages of history” in Hebrew and Farsi. The rockets struck targets 870 miles away, aimed at demonstrating Iran could reach Israel, which lies just 660 miles from Iranian territory, an Iranian official said.

Former state Rep. Jon Keyser, one of 13 Republicans running in a primary to challenge Bennet on the fall ballot, tore into the incumbent in a statement issued Wednesday.

“Senator Michael Bennet voted to put Iran on the path to a nuclear weapon and give them over $100 billion to finance their terror operations across the world,” Keyser said. “Now, the Iranians are openly mocking Senator Bennet and President Obama by test-firing ballistic missiles that are capable of reaching our greatest ally in the Middle East, Israel.”

Keyser said that the message stamped on one of the missiles “should be enough to convince him how his vote for the Iran deal has endangered Israel and the entire free world. Senator Bennet’s vote for the disastrous Iran deal is a disgrace. His actions have put our great ally Israel in even greater danger and jeopardized the safety of Coloradans and freedom loving people across the globe.”

Colorado Republican Party Chairman Steve House also took aim at Bennet, criticizing what House termed his “horrific judgment” voting in favor of the Iranian nuclear deal, which lifted sanctions on Iran and released more than $100 billion to the country as part of an agreement meant to put the brakes on Iran’s nuclear program.

“Sen. Bennet and President Obama were sadly naive to think any overture or cash infusion would change the behavior of a nation that chants ‘death to America’ and continually threatens to ‘wipe Israel off the map,’” House said in a statement. “Iran remains on the path to a nuclear weapon and poses an even greater threat to Israel through conventional weapons simply because Sen. Bennet and his party cohorts lacked the courage to stand up to President Obama.”

The nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, didn’t cover conventional weapons, and a U.N. Security Council resolution banning Iran from developing ballistic missiles expired when the international agreement was adopted. Following that, the U.N. Security Council adopted Resolution 2231, which “calls upon Iran not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using such ballistic missile technology.”

Following a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem Wednesday, Vice President Joe Biden vowed that the United States “will act” if it turns out Iran has broken the terms of the nuclear deal.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on Wednesday called for increased sanctions against Iran after the test-firings.

Saying she was “deeply concerned” by the reports, the former secretary of state said in a statement, “Iran should face sanctions for these activities and the international community must demonstrate that Iran’s threats toward Israel will not be tolerated.”

She called the official Iranian statements about the test-firings “repulsive” and said she would “continue to stand with Israel against such threats.”

— ernest@coloradostatesman.com