Iran's defense minister rejects any deal on missile programme

Iran's defense minister Wednesday rejected the idea of a deal with world powers over the country's missile programme.

The official IRNA news agency quoted General Amir Hatami as saying that any deal with the United States over Iran's "missile power" would damage the country's capabilities. He said Iran's leaders all support improving the missile programme.

Tehran long has insisted its ballistic missile program is non-negotiable. President Donald Trump, however, cited it as a reason for unilaterally withdrawing the US from the nuclear deal between Iran and Western powers over a year ago.

Hatami's remarks come as the US and its allies say Iran is behind a major drone-and-missile strike on Saudi Arabia's oil industry.

Iran has denied the allegations, saying any strikes by the US or Saudi Arabia will lead to "all-out war".

Separately, the chief of the powerful Revolutionary Guard in charge of the country's missile programme, General Hossein Salami, was quoted by the semi-official Tasnim news agency as saying Wednesday that Iran has shown self-restraint despite the capabilities of its military, including its missile programme.

"We are not looking for trouble but we will respond to troublemakers," he said.

Referring to Iran-backed Houthi rebel attacks on Saudi Arabia, Salami said Iran has improved its military power to the extent that other countries blame it for actions carried out by the rebels themselves.

"The enemy assumes that we are in charge of any sophisticated job," he said.

Without elaborating, he added that the Houthis were capable of "changing the entire field of war."