An Iranian vice president on Tuesday defended Tehran’s ballistic missile capabilities as essential for deterrence, after the US president warned of further attacks if Iran moves to develop its missile program which was severely damaged in a June war.
"Iran must have missiles; without them, we would be defenseless. We must stand for Iran’s dignity," Vice-President for Executive Affairs Mohammad-Jafar Ghaempanah said.
"If we are to bow our heads to whatever the United States says, then tomorrow we will have to answer to future generations."
Mohsen Rezaei, a former commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, wrote on his X account: “Iran’s missile and defense capability is neither negotiable, nor stoppable, nor containable.”
“In the event of any new adventurism, the will and capability of the armed forces to respond to the enemy and defend the Iranian nation will be very different from the past," Rezaei said, responding to Trump's threats.
Trump said on Monday he would support possible Israeli strikes on Iran if the Islamic Republic develops its ballistic missile or nuclear programs, warning Tehran against rebuilding military capabilities destroyed in Israeli and American airstrikes in June.
Speaking to reporters alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida, Trump said the United States will deal a heavy blow on Iran if it tries to recover from the US and Israeli strikes in June.
"I'm hearing that Iran is trying to recover—if that happens, we'll have to hit them hard," Trump added.
"If they will continue with the missiles, yes. The nuclear, fast. Okay? One will be yes, absolutely. The other was, we'll do it immediately," Trump said when asked if he would support Israel's strikes on Iran in case it further develops its ballistic missile and nuclear programs.
Ghaempanah said "no regime should have the power to threaten us."
"If our missiles had not been effective against Israel, they would certainly not have proposed a ceasefire," he said.
On June 13, Israel launched a surprise military offensive against Iran, followed by US strikes on June 22 that targeted key nuclear facilities in Isfahan, Natanz and Fordow.
The attacks killed several Iranian nuclear scientists as well as hundreds of military personnel and civilians. Iranian retaliatory strikes killed 32 Israeli civilians and one off-duty soldier.
The 12-day war ended with a ceasefire brokered by Donald Trump.
