"Iran’s missile program has never been an issue in the framework of Iran and Group 5+1 (the US, Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany) negotiations on its nuclear program," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with the Russian TV network Russia Today on Wednesday.
He added that Iran’s missile program issue in not mentioned in the Geneva agreement inked between Iran and Group 5+1 in November.
In November, Lieutenant Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Brigadier General Hossein Salami said Iran is among the first three states having access to indigenous ballistic missile technology.
“Many countries may have access to cruise missiles technology, but when it comes to ballistic missiles, I am confident that only the US and the (former) Soviet Union could master this technology, and now we can announce that we own this technology as well,” General Salami told FNA.
He pointed to Iran’s capabilities in the field of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and said, “While we did not have any knowledge about drones, we have developed and acquire drones that travel 2,000 kilometers, conduct their operations and then land in our desirable regions.”
In recent years, Iran has made great achievements in the defense sector and gained self-sufficiency in essential military hardware and defense systems.
The country has repeatedly made it clear that its military might is merely based on the state's defense doctrine of deterrence and that it poses no threat to other countries.
