Iran exhibited a surface-to-surface ballistic missile on Thursday that Defence Minister Amir Hatami said needed a range of 1,400 kilometres and a new cruise missile, dismissing U.S. demands that Tehran halt its missile programme.
"The surface-to-surface missile, known as martyr Qassem Soleimani, has a range of 1,400 km and the cruise missile, called martyr Abu Mahdi, includes a selection of over 1,000 km," Hatami stated in a televised speech.
Pictures of those missiles were shown on state TV, which it stated was"the newest Iranian cruise missile which will strengthen Iran's deterrence power".
"Missiles and particularly cruise missiles are extremely vital for us... the fact that we have improved the range from 300 to 1,000 in under two decades is a great achievement," said Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.
"Our military might and missile programmes are defensive."
The announcement comes as Washington is pushing to extend a U.N.-imposed arms embargo against Iran, which is supposed to expire in October under Tehran's 2015 atomic deal with world forces.
Tensions are high between Tehran and Washington because 2018, when President Donald Trump pulled out the United States of America in the deal and reimposed crippling sanctions on Iran.
Washington says its intent is to force Tehran to agree a broader deal that puts stricter limits on its nuclear function, curbs its ballistic missile program and finishes its own regional proxy wars. Iran has rejected talks provided that U.S. sanctions stay in place.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated on Wednesday Trump has led him to trigger'snapback' - a yield of all U.S. sanctions on Iran - in the U.N. Security Council in New York on Thursday, following the council rejected Washington's bid to extend Tehran's arms embargo.
"The surface-to-surface missile, known as martyr Qassem Soleimani, has a range of 1,400 km and the cruise missile, called martyr Abu Mahdi, includes a selection of over 1,000 km," Hatami stated in a televised speech.
Pictures of those missiles were shown on state TV, which it stated was"the newest Iranian cruise missile which will strengthen Iran's deterrence power".
"Missiles and particularly cruise missiles are extremely vital for us... the fact that we have improved the range from 300 to 1,000 in under two decades is a great achievement," said Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.
"Our military might and missile programmes are defensive."
The announcement comes as Washington is pushing to extend a U.N.-imposed arms embargo against Iran, which is supposed to expire in October under Tehran's 2015 atomic deal with world forces.
Tensions are high between Tehran and Washington because 2018, when President Donald Trump pulled out the United States of America in the deal and reimposed crippling sanctions on Iran.
Washington says its intent is to force Tehran to agree a broader deal that puts stricter limits on its nuclear function, curbs its ballistic missile program and finishes its own regional proxy wars. Iran has rejected talks provided that U.S. sanctions stay in place.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated on Wednesday Trump has led him to trigger'snapback' - a yield of all U.S. sanctions on Iran - in the U.N. Security Council in New York on Thursday, following the council rejected Washington's bid to extend Tehran's arms embargo.