Tehran, June 9 (IANS) The Iranian Foreign Ministry has said that Iran's missile activities are "conventional and defensive", refuting some Western remarks on the matter as "groundless and meddlesome".
In response to criticism voiced by the US, France and the UK about Tehran unveiling a hypersonic missile, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani noted on Thursday that the activities are "completely legitimate based on international law", Xinhua news agency reported.
Kanaani said that such Western states "with track records of violating international obligations in non-proliferation have no right to comment on Iran's legitimate capabilities".
He noted that the AUKUS trilateral security agreement, under which the United States and Britain will assist Australia in acquiring nuclear-powered submarines, was a blatant example of violating the aims and objectives of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Iran on Tuesday unveiled the domestically-developed hypersonic missile Fattah in the capital Tehran, news agency IRNA reported.
The missile boasts high tactical capabilities and is equipped with a solid-fuel propulsion system and a second-stage mobile nozzle, which allow it to reach a velocity of up to 15 Mach (5104.35 meters per second) and a range of 1,400 km, according to IRNA.
The precision-guided missile is also equipped with stealth technology, enabling it to evade detection by radar systems, it said.
Later, US State Department Spokesperson Vedant Patel told a press conference that his country is "committed to using a range of available nonproliferation tools to address Iran's missile development", while a spokesman of the British Foreign Office accused Iran of "continued disregard of international restrictions".
The French Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that it "notes with concern Iran's announcements, claiming these activities come amid the continued escalation of Iranian's nuclear and ballistic programmes".
--IANS
int/sha