Ghasemi said late Friday that Iran’s missile program is part of its legitimate defensive agenda and the guarantor of national security, which is based on the doctrine of deterrence.
Noting that the Islamic Republic has designed its defense capabilities based on an assessment of the existing threats and it would strengthen such capabilities as much as it considers necessary, Ghasemi reiterated that Iran’s missile program is not negotiable.
His remarks came in reaction to the earlier comments by Foreign Minister France Jean-Yves Le Drian who said France along with other European countries would impose further sanctions against Iran if no progress is made in talks over its ballistic missile program.
Ghasemi said this has been brought to the attention of the French side during the ongoing political dialogue between Iran and France, adding that threatening with new sanctions is against the spirit of political dialogues and mutual cooperation.
The diplomat stressed that any new sanctions by European states would convince Iran to reconsider its interaction with these countries.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran has always been seeking consolidation of peace and stability in the region, and believes the mass sales of sophisticated and aggressive weapons by the US and some European countries including France haveundermined stability and balance in the region,” he concluded.
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