TEHRAN – Secretary of Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani has insisted on Tehran’s long-held position that Iran’s missile program is purely defensive and that Iran’s missiles have not been and will not be a threat against other countries.

In an interview with the Shargh daily published on Saturday, he said that Iran’s defense strategy has been drawn up based on the experiences of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war and proportionate to threats.

In a speech at the Heritage Foundation on May 21, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo demanded that Iran halt all uranium enrichment, stop its ballistic-missile program and give nuclear inspectors access to the entire country.

Shamkhani said, “They (certain Western countries) provided Saddam Hussein with various conventional and non-conventional weapons and deprived our people of their right to defend through imposing arms embargo. Do these counties have the right to tell us that we are not permitted to manufacture defense tools based on our domestic knowledge and capabilities?”

‘Iran considers Syria’s security its own’

Elsewhere, Shamkhani said that Iran considers Syria’s security as its own and that “stability in Syria is an achievement for Iran”.

“We have limited presence in Syria upon the request of the Syrian legal government and to provide the country with advisory help. We consider what have been achieved in Syria result of Syrians’ efforts to eradicate terrorism,” noted Shamkhani who was defense chief from 1997 to 2005.

He also said that formation of Takfiri terrorism and bloodshed in Islamic countries created “unbelievable and golden years” for Israel.

“Now, those golden years have come to an end by the defeat of Takfiri terrorists in Syria and Iraq and once again the Palestine issue has turned into the first issue of the Islamic world. We take essential measures with vigilance to protect our security and interests,” he stated.

NA/PA