Talks are useless in dealing with US, Iran’s president says
Iran’s president struck a muscular tone on dealings
with the U.S., saying Thursday that “talks are useless” as Tehran’s nuclear
deal with world powers crumbles further.
President Hassan Rouhani made the comment in a
speech in Tehran during the unveiling of the Bavar-373, a long-range
surface-to-air missile system that he described as an improvement to the
Russian S-300.
“Now that our enemies do not accept logic, we cannot
respond with logic,” Rouhani said in the televised speech.
He added: “When the enemy launches a missile against
us, we cannot give a speech and say: ‘Mr. Rocket, please do not hit our country
and our innocent people. Rocket-launching sir, if you can please hit a button
and self-destroy the missile in the air.’”
On Wednesday, Iran’s state TV reported that the
Bavar-373 is able to recognize up to 100 targets at a same time and confront
them with six different weapons.
Since 1992, Iran has developed a homegrown defense
industry that has produced light and heavy weapons ranging from mortars and
torpedoes to tanks and submarines.
The U.S. re-imposed sanctions on Iran after the
Trump administration pulled out of the nuclear deal over concerns about Iran’s
missile program and regional influence.
President Donald Trump argued that the accord did
not limited Iran’s ballistic missile program.
Iran has developed a homegrown defense industry
since 1992.
