Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan has hailed the country’s defensive and missile achievements, saying the Islamic Republic will give the “harshest response” to enemy threats, PressTV reported.
Pointing to Iran's recent missile attack against the Daesh Takfiri group’s targets in eastern Syria, Dehqan said on Saturday that the Islamic Republic would never back down in the face of enemy threats.
He added that Iran pursues a “crystal clear” path in the domain of missile and defense activities.
Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) fired six medium-range ground-to-ground ballistic missiles into Daesh bases in Syria’s Dayr al-Zawr on June 18 in retaliation for twin terrorist attacks in the Iranian capital Tehran on June 7, which killed 17 people and injured over 50 others.
The IRGC has said the missiles killed more than 170 Takfiri terrorists, including a number of commanders and senior elements, and inflicted heavy damage on their equipment and systems.
The Iranian defense minister also pointed to a US Congress bill to impose new sanctions on Tehran and said, “The US seeks to impose restrictions and exert pressure on Iran under any circumstances.”
It is impossible to impede a nation’s progress, Dehqan pointed out.
He said the Iranian nation has no concern about the US sanctions because the Islamic establishment is so deep-rooted and strong that Washington’s bans will have little bearing on the country’s activities, including its missile program.
He emphasized that the country does not need to pay attention or give in to Washington’s demands.
Last month, a procedural problem in the lower chamber of the United States Congress halted a quick vote for the legislation that had passed the Senate nearly unanimously.
Later, the Senate sent a proposed fix to the House but a new obstacle has cropped up.
Senators initially voted 98-2 to pass the Countering Iran's Destabilizing Activities Act. Before it is signed into law by US President Donald Trump, the measure has to pass the House.