Azernews.Az

By Umid Niayesh

Testing the long-range ballistic missile dubbed "Barani" is a response to the U.S. officials' statements that the military option against Iran is still on the table, Iran's Defense minister Hossein Dehghan said, the country's IRIB news agency reported on Feb. 10.

Dehghan went on to say that the successful test-fire of the missile which took place on Feb. 9 was a gift to Iranian people.

The Iranian defence ministry is fully ready to respond to any threat against the country, he added.

Iranian media outlets reported that the country has test-fired two new domestically-made long-range missiles. One of the missiles was said to have been a new generation ballistic weapon with radar-evading capabilities.

Pentagon spokesman Adm. John Kirby said the agency has seen the reports, the CNN reported on Feb. 11.

"Iran's missile program continues to pose a dangerous threat to region, and is an issue we monitor closely," he said.

Kirby noted that U.N. Security Council Resolution 1929 prohibits Iran from undertaking any activity related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using ballistic missile technology.

On Feb. 9, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejected U.S. calls for its ballistic missile program to be included as part of the negotiated nuclear deal.

Araqchi's remarks follow an assertion by Wendy Sherman, the lead U.S. nuclear negotiator at the talks with Tehran, that Iran's ballistic missile program would be addressed as part of a comprehensive nuclear deal.