Iranian Vice President: We Used To Beg For Missiles, Today We Build Our Own

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. (Wikimedia Commons/Ballk/MSC)

JAKARTA - Vice President for Strategic Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif praised Iran's missile capabilities, saying Tehran no longer relies on other parties in terms of defense.

Vice President Zarif spoke to reporters on the sidelines of the screening of the 'God of War' film at the iconic Milad Tower in Tehran on Sunday.

"In the past we begged to be given a missile, but today we built it ourselves, this is the pride of our country," said the Iranian Vice President, quoted from IRNA on February 10.

Vice President Zarif further hinted at nuclear negotiations with several world powers that led to the signing of an important deal in 2015, the Joint Comprehensive Action Plan (JCPOA).

"We didn't talk about missiles during negotiations (JCPOA), but we also said on the sidelines of the negotiations, we used to beg for missiles, but now we make them ourselves, which is the pride of our country," said Vice President Zarif.

Determining missile capabilities, he said Iran had shown the world they could build their own missiles and could use them according to war rules and religious principles.

However, the issue of nuclear weapons is a completely different matter and the religion of the Great Leader has closed this issue forever, he further said, rejecting a longstanding Western claim that Iran is pursuing nuclear.