The launch of an Iranian ballistic missile. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

The Islamic Republic will forge ahead with its development of ballistic missiles despite American pressure, an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman declared on Thursday, the Tehran regime-aligned news agency Tasnim reported.

“In line with our national policies, we will continue our defense program, which is deterrent and contributes to stability and security in the region and the campaign against terrorism, with full power and will not allow others to talk about the issue,” Bahram Qassemi was quoted as saying.

At a press conference in Riyadh last week with his Saudi counterpart Adel al-Jubeir, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called on newly-reelected Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to halt ballistic missile testing.

On Thursday, Qassemi dismissed Tillerson’s words as “empty talk.”

Ballistic missile testing has been a point of contention between Iran and the US in recent months. In February, as reported by The Algemeiner, the Trump administration officially put Iran “on notice” over hostile behavior, including a “provocative ballistic missile launch.”

Meanwhile, also on Thursday, Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan stated, according to Tasnim, “We have reached a point that we can design and produce all of our needs in the area of ballistic and cruise missiles.”