Deadly weapons dealers in no position to comment on Iran defense power: Qassemi

EghtesadOnline: Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi says the United States and other countries producing and exporting lethal arms are in no position to express opinion about the Islamic Republic's defense prowess.

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04 February 2018

"The US and some countries, which are producing and exporting deadly weapons, cannot export destructive weaponries worth hundreds of billions of dollars to this sensitive region through deceitful [approaches] and pass judgment about Iran's defense might at the same time," Qassemi told IRNA on Saturday.

He reiterated Iran's legitimate and undeniable right to defend the country’s national interests and protect its security.

In accordance with Islamic and national teachings and the principles of the Constitution, the Islamic Republic has not withdrawn one iota from its legitimate right to strengthen its defensive capabilities and "will still strongly pursue plans and objectives as well as its required defense strategies, particularly in the field of its missile capability," he said.

He pointed to overt and covert military interventions of global powers, particularly the United States, psychological warfare, constant Israeli threats against the Iranian people and various plots by some regional countries, and said, "The Islamic Republic of Iran will not wait for any state's permission to safeguard its national security, preserve the country's sovereignty and defend its nation."

Qassemi added that enemies of the Islamic Revolution and the Iranian nation have made massive efforts to undermine the country's defense and security power over the past 40 years and "are seeking to establish a kind of unequal … military balance against our country."

"A powerful Iran is very important not only for the great Iranian nation but for regional peace, stability and security. Undoubtedly, Iran's capability will thwart plots of regional and international enemies and bar them from carrying out any unwise action," the Iranian spokesperson pointed out.

Pointing to the deterrent nature of Iran's missile program, he said the Israeli regime and the US have found out that a strong and independent Iran would never bow to their bullying and that Tehran would give a firm response to their thoughtless measures.

Qassemi further emphasized that Iran's missile power would definitely boost regional security and stability and said the Islamic Republic has never attacked any neighboring and regional countries and would never do so in the future.

Iran has always made efforts to boost peace and security in the region, he said, adding that psychological warfare against Iran is aimed at promoting Iranophobia.

In line with the US lobbying efforts against Iran's peaceful missile activities, the administration of US President Donald Trump has for months been threatening to quit the multilateral nuclear agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), if its “disastrous flaws” are not fixed.

In an interview with Iran's Arabic-language Al-Alam news channel in January, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani hailed the country’s missile capabilities and said the Islamic Republic would strongly continue to develop its deterrence power to repel foreign threats.

"We will have no negotiations on the missile issue and our defense power with any country," the SNSC secretary reiterated.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on January 12 slammed the US president's reluctant announcement on Iran's nuclear sanctions waiver as a "desperate attempt" to undermine a "non-negotiable" international deal.

"Trump's policy and today’s announcement amount to desperate attempts to undermine a solid multilateral agreement, maliciously violating its paragraphs 26, 28 and 29," Zarif tweeted.

Iran has repeatedly reiterated the defensive and deterrent nature of its missile program and said the country’s missile capabilities have so far played an “effective” role in improving regional peace and stability.