Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi denied Wednesday the Islamic
republic is planning to develop ballistic missiles capable of striking the
U.S., as alleged by Washington.
"We have no such plans," Vahidi told the official IRNA news agency,
describing the allegations as "part of the enemy's psychological
warfare."
Vahidi was reacting to Tuesday comments by a senior
U.S.
official
James Miller, principal deputy undersecretary of defense for policy, who told a
senate hearing
Iran
could
by 2015 develop missiles that could strike the U.S.
Miller added that his assessment assumed "foreign assistance" to
enable
Iran
to
improve its missile technology.
A report last year from the U.S. Air Force National Air and Space Intelligence
Centre had postulated that
Iran
could
build an intercontinental ballistic missile that could hit
U.S.
soil
by 2015-2018, if it received outside help.
Analysts say
Iran
's
Safir (Ambassador) space launch vehicle, which
Tehran
put
into orbit in February 2009, has the potential to be converted into a
long-range missile.
Vahidi, however, said Wednesday Iran was producing an air defense system
equipped with aerial radar, and a domestically produced missile having a range
of 40 kilometers and an altitude of 20 kilometers.
Washington
closely follows
Iran
's
missile programme and has cited threats from
Tehran
and
North
Korea
as the main impetus for
building missile defense systems for the
U.S.
and
its allies.
The
U.S.
administration also accuses
Tehran
of a
clandestine effort to build nuclear weapons. Iran vehemently denies this.