We consider defense as our inalienable and recognized right and will continue to design, manufacture and put into operation any necessary conventional weapons and equipmentin order to defend the country, Dehqan said on Wednesday.
Dehqan's remarks came a day after a panel of UN experts said in a confidential report that Irans firing of the long-range ballistic missile in October violated a UN Security Council resolution, alleging that the missile is capable of delivering nuclear weapons.
On the basis of its analysis and findings the Panel concludes that Emad launch is a violation by Iran of paragraph 9 of Security Council resolution 1929, the panel said.
But Dehqan said, "Our aim of carrying out this test was that we wanted to tell the world that the Islamic Republic of Iran acts based on its national interests and no power anywhere in the world can decide for our nation and country and [Iran] will not accept any restriction onthis issue.
Iran successfully test-firedthe surface-to-surface missile, which has been completely designed and manufactured by experts of Irans Aerospace Industries Organization affiliated with the Iranian Ministry of Defense, on October 11.
The Iranian defense minister saidthat despite certain restrictions stipulated in the UN Security Council Resolution 2231 under the terms of a July nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powersTehran will keep boosting its defensecapabilities.
Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia plus Germany finalized the text of the agreement dubbed the JCPOA in the Austrian capital Vienna on July 14.
On July 20, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2231, which bars Iran from developing missiles "designed to carry nuclear warheads."
The Iranian defense chief said that the JPCOA has not banned Iran from boosting its defense capabilities.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="555"]
Iran successfully test-fires its domestically-built Emad ballistic missile on October 11, 2015. Tasnim news agency[/caption]On October 17, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Seyyed Abbas Araqchi saidthat none of Irans missiles, including ballistic ones, have been designed to carry a nuclear warhead, and thus their production and test are not contrary to [UN Security Council] Resolution 2231.
The Islamic Republic has repeatedly said that its military might poses no threat to other countries, reiterating that its defense doctrine is merely based on deterrence.
By Press TV
