Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stressed on Wednesday that it will continue increasing the country’s defensive capabilities and will not surrender to pressure over its missile program.

“(Iran’s) missile program has turned into the main challenge of the enemies of the Iranian nation, especially the United States, the Zionist regime (of Israel) and the Saudi rulers,” it said in a statement quoted by Reuters.

“Increasing defensive capabilities will remain the main strategy of the armed forces,” the IRGC added.

Iran’s ballistic missile program is a cause for concern for the West. The United States has several times imposed sanctions on Iran over its ballistic missile tests, the latest of which came earlier this month, saying the tests violate UN resolutions.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has stressed that Iran will continue to produce missiles for its defense and does not consider that a violation of international agreements.

The IRGC statement came hours after a top Iranian cleric warned that the regime in Tehran would strike Israel in retaliation for any “harm…in the slightest way” by the U.S. against Iran.

Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, a member of the Islamic Republic’s religious governing body known as the Assembly of Experts, told worshippers at an Eid al-Ahda event in Tehran that Iran would not accept President Donald Trump’s offer to engage in negotiations.

Khatami added that Iran would not limit its attacks on the U.S. if America caused any “harm” to Iran, and that the Tehran regime would retaliate against Israel as well.

“The price of a war with Iran is very high for America. They know if they harm this country and this state in the slightest way, the United States and its main ally in the region, the Zionist regime would be targeted,” declared Khatami.

Source » israelnationalnews