TEHRAN – Iran’s deputy minister of defense has said the country has accurate missiles it has not unveiled in order to be able to surprise its enemies.

Qassem Taqizadeh, who was speaking prior to Friday prayer sermons in Mashhad, said, “A lot of accomplishments cannot be revealed through the media, so we hide them,” according to Mashregh News website.

Taqizadeh referred to missiles that according to him have great accuracy, although their range is limited.

The deputy defense minister on Friday reiterated Iran’s position, insisting that his country’s missile program is limited to threats it faces, which “for now have a radius of 1,800 kilometers”.

He added, “Americans know very well” Iranian forces do not need to reach New York to confront them; instead “today there are tens of thousands of Americans in the region” and for that reason Iran’s Supreme Leader has calculated that Washington will not start a war with Iran.

Iran downed a highly-sophisticated U.S. spy drone on June 20 over the Persian Gulf after it breached Iran’s airspace.

SP/PA