Reuters
Friday, December 29, 2006
Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar on Friday dismissed
U.N. sanctions imposed on Iran as "psychological warfare"
and suggested they would not affect Iran's missile production
capability.
The U.N. Security Council banned Iran from importing or exporting
sensitive nuclear materials and technology as well as ballistic
missile delivery systems in a move aimed at stopping it from nuclear
enrichment activities that can be used in nuclear weapons.
"We see these sanctions as a psychological warfare that
will have no effect on the output of Iran's defense industries,"
Najjar said in an interview with state television.
"We produce several items of defense industries in various
fields. They are all indigenous and need no (assistance from)
abroad," he added.
Najjar did not specifically refer to missile production, but
said anything that the Iranian armed forces needed can be made
in the Islamic Republic.
Iran, which denies Western charges that it wants to build nuclear
weapons, has pledged to continue its nuclear work despite the
sanctions.
Iran has missiles with a range of up to 2,000 km (1,250 miles)
in its arsenal, putting arch-foe Israel within range. Iranian
officials have also said its weapons can hit the whole Gulf region,
an area where the United States, its main enemy, has military
units.
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