TEHRAN (FNA)- An increasing number of Iranians are demanding the country's armed forces to stage a ballistic missile drill after the Iranian and American negotiators presented different interpretations on a paragraph of an annex to the UNSC Resolution 2231.

Students of 9 universities in Tehran in a letter to Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Hassan Firouzabadi on Sunday demanded him to arrange a set of exercises to fire home-made mid and long-range ballistic missiles.

Also in a separate statement on Saturday, students at the Islamic seminary in the holy city of Qom, referred to the paragraph in the UNSC resolution annex which calls for curbing Iran's ballistic missile capability, and underlined the necessity for protecting the country's defense capabilities and ensuring continued development of Iran's ballistic missile capability.

The students told Firouzabadi that firing ballistic missiles in military drills would discourage the US Congress, the Israeli Knesset and their regional Takfiri mercenaries from future strikes against the Islamic Republic.

The UNSC unanimously endorsed a draft resolution turning into international law the Joint� Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) reached between Iran and the Group 5+1 (the US, Russia, China Britain and France plus Germany) over the Islamic Republic�s nuclear program in July.

The paragraph in the annex of the UN Security Council Resolution 2231 says, "Iran is called upon not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using such ballistic missile technology, until the date eight years after the JCPOA Adoption Day or until the date on which the IAEA submits a report confirming the Broader Conclusion, whichever is earlier."

Iran says it has not accepted or endorsed the annex, adding that none of its ballistic missiles has been designed to carry nuclear payloads, and thus, its ballistic missile program is no way related to the paragraph. The US State Secretary and his team argue to the opposite. Yet, both accept that the paragraph is non-binding as it demands and does not order.

Minutes the approval of the UN Security Council resolution, the Iranian Foreign Ministry in a statement ensured that the country's ballistic missile program and capability is untouched and unrestricted by Resolution 2231.

The Iranian foreign ministry issued a rather lengthy statement, where it stressed Tehran's resolve to contribute an active role in war on terrorism and promotion of peace and stability in the region.

The statement ensured that "Iran will continue its pioneering role in campaign against terrorism and violent extremism", including its cooperation with the neighboring states.

"In addition, the Islamic Republic of Iran will continue making the necessary arrangements and plans to reinvigorate its defensive capabilities to protect its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity against any kind of aggression as well as its confrontation with the threat of terrorism in the region," it added.

"Within this framework, Iran's military capabilities, including its ballistic missiles, are exclusively for legitimate defense; these equipment have not been designed for the capability to carry nuclear payloads and thus, fall outside the scope and the jurisdiction of the UNSC resolution and its annexes," the Iranian foreign ministry statement stressed.

All 15 members of the UNSC voted for the draft UN resolution in New York on July 20, setting the stage for the lifting of Security Council sanctions against Iran.

The text of the draft UN resolution calls for the �full implementation� of the Vienna agreement �on the timetable established,� and urges UN member countries to facilitate the process.

By Fars News Agency