FNA- Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for European and American Affairs Majid Takht Ravanchi played down US pressures against the country's military growth, reiterating that Tehran will take any step it deems necessary, including ballistic missile tests, to strengthen its defense power.

"We don�t take permission from anyone for our defensive activities and our defense measures are carried out based on the country's considerations and the routine plan developed by our military officials," Takht Ravanchi told reporters in Tehran on Tuesday in response to recent US media reports about the firing of two ballistic missiles in the Persian Gulf.

"These are based on the moves that we need to do in the defense sector, some of them in the Persian Gulf and some others on the mainland; these are no strange actions," he added.

In relevant remarks last week, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan underscored that the country's Armed Forces continue military wargames irrespective of western states' opposition.

"Stopping the drills is something meaningless," General Dehqan told FNA on Sunday.

He also stressed that no military wargames have been postponed in the current year and all the planned tests of home-made weapons have been carried out.

Elsewhere, General Dehqan declared that 6 new home-made products will be unveiled in the current (ending on March 20) and next Iranian year, including three satellites, advanced 'Karrar' tank, the new 'Qadir' drone and 'Saba 248' national helicopter.

Also, last May, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei blasted the US military presence in the Persian Gulf region and interference in Iran's internal affairs, and said Tehran would powerfully continue its military drills in the region irrespective of Washington opposition.

"Today, the enemies utter words bigger than their mouths; for instance they deveop plans to bring to a halt Iran's military wargames in the Persian Gulf, what a foolish remark," Ayatollah Khamenei said, addressing a large gathering of Iranian teachers and professors on the occasion of Teachers Day in Iran.

Warning that the Iranian nation has the needed capability to respond to the enemies' excessive demands, he said, "The Persian Gulf is the Iranian nation's home and the Persian Gulf and a large section of the Sea of Oman belong to this powerful nation; therefore, we should be present in the region, hold wargames and display our power and it is the Americans who should say why they have come from that side of the world and stage drills in here. What are you doing here? Go back to the Bay of Pigs. Go and hold exercises there. What are you doing in the Persian Gulf? The Persian Gulf is our home."

"The excessive demands of the powers should be confronted this way," Ayatollah Khamenei said.