Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30
By Umid Niayesh - Trend:
An Iranian official said Nov. 30 that the country will not accept surveillance on its missile program.
Iran's missile power may not be observed by foreigners, the Secretary of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani said, the country's Fars news agency reported Nov. 30.
The Iranian missile tests and ranges are compatible with possible threats, Shamkhani said, adding the Islamic Republic's missile program has no inclinations to unconventional weapons.
He underlined that Iran is not facing any military threat - neither currently, nor in the new future.
"The enemies are not able to realize military threats against Iran," Shamkhani said, adding "the military option against Iran is not on the table due to its high costs for the counter side."
The senior Iranian official repeatedly announced that the country's missile power will not be a topic for negotiations during nuclear talks with P5+1 (the US, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany).
Last April, Iran's defense minister, Hossein Dehghan said the country will never accept any intervention from the western side on the issue, Iran's Fars news agency reported April 16.
Earlier in February, the US negotiator, Wendy Sherman, said Iran's ballistic capabilities should be addressed as part of a comprehensive agreement with Iran.
Dehghan said "the westerners say that Iran may use its ballistic missiles to deliver nuclear warheads, but we repeatedly announced that weapons of mass destruction have no place in Iran's defense doctrine."
The US and its Western allies suspect Iran of developing a nuclear weapon - something that Iran denies.
Iran and the P5+1 agreed to extend nuclear talks until July 1, 2015 after failing to meet the Nov. 24 deadline to reach a comprehensive nuclear agreement.