Iran vows to boost deterrent power despite US pressure

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Sunday vowed to boost the Islamic republic's deterrent military power despite the pressure from the US and its allies.

Iran will never seek others' permission to reinforce its military capabilities and will continue its efforts to develop defence power within the framework of law and religious principles, Rouhani said at the opening ceremony for a defence museum, Xinhua news agency reported.

"We should be ready to counter the threats against the nation," he said, adding that "our nation and officials will not negotiate with anyone to this end".

Rouhani stressed that Iran will continue to boost its defence power proportional to the potential threats to its security.

However, weapons of mass destruction have no place in Iran's military doctrine, he added.

Meanwhile, a senior Iranian military commander said that the missile depots of the country are protected against the enemies' attacks, Tasnim news agency reported.

The underground missile facilities of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) are invulnerable to all sorts of hostile attacks, IRGC Lieutenant Commander Brigadier General Hossein Salami was quoted as saying.

According to Xinhua news, he said there are lots of missile sites at the IRGC's disposal in Iran, which are very safe from the enemies' conventional and unconventional offensives.

At the time of an enemy attack, numerous missiles of various types could be fired at once from various places, given the type of threats, he added.

Pointing to advances in the drone industry, Salami stated that the missile power is only a portion of Iran's defence capabilities.

The IRGC has detailed information about the US military capabilities and bases around the country, he said, adding that Iran considers the regional countries as being within the range of its strategic security.

The US and its regional allies have repeatedly expressed concerns about Iran's missile programme, threatening to take measures to deal with it.

But Tehran rejects the charges, insisting that it is only for deterrent purposes.

--IANS

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