MNA – In reaction to French foreign minister’s recent remarks, Iranian Foreign Ministry's spokesman has reiterated that Iran is serious about its defense issues, relating the missile capabilities to territorial integrity and preserving people’s fate.











The French friends should once again read resolution 2231 and see that Iran's missile program is not in conflict with resolution 2231 at all,” Bahram Ghasemi, the Spokesman of Iranian Foreign Ministry said on Sunday, according to the Iranian Broadcasting Organization website (IRIB), in response to the French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian’s recent intimidating remarks on Iranian missile program.

“Iranian missile program is defensive and a domestic issue that is deterrent in nature and is designed to defend the country,” Ghasemi highlighted.

History of our relations over the past decades has shown that, the spokesman stated, Iran needs to have defensive capabilities to defend itself in this turbulent region.

The spokesman added that Iran’s foreign policy towards the regional countries and its neighbors is ‘clear’, expressing Iran’s willingness to have peaceful and friendly relations with all the countries to lead the region towards stability and development.

“Our actions in the defensive field are completely natural as every country has the right to use its capabilities to defend itself if it needs be,” Ghasemi recounted.

“As we have said many times, we design our own defensive policies and we will not allow others meddle in our affairs,” he further underlined.

He went on to say that Iran has never been an aggressor and has never had eye on territories of other countries, while it has been attacked by other countries in the region backed by western countries.

Meanwhile, the spokesman reminded France of the arms it provided to Saddam Hussain’s regime in its aggression on Iran, destroying Iranian cities and villages.

Ghasemi also condemned western countries' arms sales to some countries in the region as a factor behind instability and crises in the region.

The spokesman further pointed out that Iran has regular talks with European countries including France, adding that the Iranian diplomats have clarified Iran’s stance on its missile program to the European parties in the meetings.

“It is unacceptable for us that other countries in the world seek to pressure us over these kinds of issues,” he underlined.

“Based on our experience, we cannot be kidding, nor can we take it easy, nor can we be careless over Iran's defensive issue, which is related to our sovereignty, territorial integrity, fate and interests of the Iranian people. Therefore, this is a fundamental principle and we are going to continue this path,” Ghasemi further noted.