Tasnim – Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami said the country is planning to increase the explosive power of its missile warheads while conducting research on boosting their speed.

Announcing defense projects for the current Persian calendar year, which started last week, Hatami said that ground-to-ground missiles have reached complete accuracy and that special works would be done to upgrade their quality.

"Among these works are increasing the effectiveness of warheads by enhancing their explosive power so that missiles are more effective," he said. "There are also very good research programs on their speed, maneuverability and agility."

Hatami also said that Iranian air-launched cruise missiles will be unveiled this year.

Cruise missiles, he added, will become more responsive and capable of being deployed while on the move.

He further described the unveiling of Khordad 15 air defense system and the production of precise and tactical missiles as "turning point" in Iran's missile capabilities, according to Press TV.

The defense minister also referred to Iran's January 8 missile attack on the US-occupied Ain al-Assad airbase in Iraq’s western Anbar Province.

The strike came in retaliation for Washington's assassination of Iran's prominent anti-terror commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani upon his arrival in the Iraqi capital at the invitation of the Baghdad government.

US forces initially reported no casualties, but it later emerged that at least 110 soldiers sustained traumatic brain injuries (TBIs).

Hatami said the missile raid on Ain al-Assad was of tactical importance as it was the first attack on a US base in Iraq and restored Iran's deterrence power.

Soleimani's assassination "had no operational value, but the objective of the enemies was to challenge the might of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he noted, emphasizing that the retaliatory missile attack, which had been conducted with the prudence of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei and following public demand, destroyed Ain al-Assad and gave "a crushing response" to the enemies.

Iran has, on many occasions, said its missile serve self-defense purposes, asserting that they are not designed to be capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

In November, a Pentagon research study hailed Iran’s achievements in its ballistic missiles program despite decades of Washington-imposed sanctions, saying its arsenal is larger than that of any other Middle Eastern countries.