Iran Rejects Western Criticism of its Ballistic Program

Two Iranian women pass in front of a billboard depicting a “hypersonic” missile, and the slogan, “400 seconds to Tel Aviv”, in Tehran. (Reuters)
Two Iranian women pass in front of a billboard depicting a “hypersonic” missile, and the slogan, “400 seconds to Tel Aviv”, in Tehran. (Reuters)
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Iran Rejects Western Criticism of its Ballistic Program

Two Iranian women pass in front of a billboard depicting a “hypersonic” missile, and the slogan, “400 seconds to Tel Aviv”, in Tehran. (Reuters)
Two Iranian women pass in front of a billboard depicting a “hypersonic” missile, and the slogan, “400 seconds to Tel Aviv”, in Tehran. (Reuters)

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani rejected western criticism of his country’s ballistic missiles program, after Tehran announced the development of its first domestically made “hypersonic” ballistic missile.

“The precision-guided Fattah hypersonic missile has a range of 1,400 km and it is capable of penetrating all defense shields,” Amirali Hajizadeh, the head of the Revolutionary Guards’ aerospace force, was quoted as saying by Iranian state media.

This is the second ballistic missile announced by Iran within two weeks, after it tested, earlier last month, a ballistic missile with a range of 2,000 kilometers.

Hypersonic missiles can fly at least five times faster than the speed of sound and on a complex trajectory, which makes them difficult to intercept. Last year, Iran said it had built a hypersonic ballistic missile which can maneuver in and out of the atmosphere.

The Revolutionary Guard revealed a model of the missile during a ceremony attended by its senior commanders and Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi.

In a statement on Thursday, Kanaani said that his country’s missile activities are “well-known, defensive, and legitimate, in accordance with international laws,” accusing Western countries of “interfering” in his country’s affairs.

“These countries, which have a long and clear history of violating international obligations in several areas, including nuclear tests, the non-proliferation system, stockpiling ballistic missiles, and playing a disruptive role in regional and international issues, are not entitled to comment on Iran’s legitimate and legal defense capabilities,” he said.

Kanani specifically referred to the security alliance between Australia, Britain and the United States, known as AUKUS, saying: “This alliance is a blatant example of the political and discriminatory orientation of the nuclear powers in transferring technology and highly enriched uranium to non-nuclear states, contrary to the Non-Proliferation Treaty.”

Kanaani’s remarks came at a time when giant posters depicting the Fattah missile and the slogan “400 seconds to Tel Aviv '' invaded billboards and two walls in squares and large streets in Tehran, which are usually reserved for propaganda sponsored by the IRGC.

“We are proud of the missile production that dazzles the world,” said Raisi on Thursday, during a tour of East Azerbaijan Province.

On Wednesday, the French Foreign Ministry expressed its concern over the Revolutionary Guards’ announcement of a new ballistic missile, stressing Paris’ determination to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

“This is yet another breach of UN Security Council Resolution 2231. These activities come amid the continued escalation of Iran’s nuclear and ballistic programs. We remain fully mobilized to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons,” the ministry said in a statement.

The British Foreign Office said that Iran’s announcement “further proves its continued disregard of international restrictions and the grave threat posed by the regime to global security.”

“Alongside partners, the UK remains committed to taking every diplomatic step to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons and to hold the regime to account for its malign activity around the world,” the statement added.

The US Treasury announced the imposition of a set of sanctions on a number of companies in China and Hong Kong for supporting Iran’s ballistic missile program. It confirmed that Chinese companies sent centrifuges, non-ferrous metals that can be used for military purposes, and electronic equipment to government branches and private companies in Iran involved in missile manufacturing and subject to sanctions.

“Today’s action reinforces our commitment to respond to activities which undermine regional stability and threaten the security of our key partners and allies,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson.

He added: “The United States will continue to target illicit transnational procurement networks that covertly support Iran’s ballistic missile production and other military programs.”

 



Putin Urges Iran to Take ‘Zero Enrichment’ Nuclear Deal with US

Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Belgorod Region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov during their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Friday, July 11, 2025. (Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Belgorod Region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov during their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Friday, July 11, 2025. (Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
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Putin Urges Iran to Take ‘Zero Enrichment’ Nuclear Deal with US

Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Belgorod Region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov during their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Friday, July 11, 2025. (Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Belgorod Region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov during their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Friday, July 11, 2025. (Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

The stalled indirect talks between Washington and Tehran were activated on Saturday after reports said Russian President Vladimir Putin stepped in, urging the Iranians to accept a nuclear deal that would not allow uranium enrichment.

Putin has told both US President Donald Trump and Iranian officials that he supports the idea of a nuclear deal in which Iran is unable to enrich uranium, sources familiar with those discussions told Axios.

The website said Russia has been Iran's main diplomatic backer on the nuclear issue for years, while Moscow publicly advocates for Iran's right to enrich.

But, it added, Putin has taken a tougher position in private in the wake of the 12-day war between Israel and Iran.

Two sources said the Russians briefed the Israeli government about Putin's position regarding Iran's uranium enrichment.

Iran has long insisted that it must retain the ability to enrich under any deal.

Putin and other Russian officials have conveyed their support for a “zero enrichment” deal to the Iranians several times of the last few weeks, sources told Axios.

“Putin would support zero enrichment. He encouraged the Iranians to work towards that in order to make negotiations with the Americans more favorable.

The Iranians said they won't consider it,” one European official with direct knowledge of the issue said.

The Russians have made clear in public and private that if a deal is reached, they are willing to remove Iran's highly enriched uranium.

“Russia has said it would then supply Iran with 3.67% uranium for nuclear power and small quantities of 20% enriched uranium for the Tehran research reactor and the production of nuclear isotopes,” the sources told Axios.

But an informed Iranian source dismissed the Axios report. Speaking to Tasnim on Saturday, the source said Iran has not received any message from Putin regarding a zero enrichment nuclear deal with the US.

In Tehran, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency will “take a new form to ensure the security of its nuclear facilities.”

He reiterated Iran’s commitment to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), saying: “Iran’s nuclear program has always been peaceful and will remain so,” stressing that Tehran “will continue to be a member of the NPT.”

On its missile program, the minister said Iran will not abandon its military and defense capabilities while it is under constant threats from Israel and the United States.

Khamenei Threatens Washington

In a related development, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei issued a fresh threat to the US, saying American military bases in the region could be struck again at any moment.

“Striking Al Udeid Air Base is not a small incident but a major one that can be repeated,” Khamenei said.

“We are capable of reaching important American sites in the region,” he wrote in a post on X.

Khamenei also enclosed a caricature of Trump in the form of the Statue of Liberty, and title it, “A strong punch... A remarkable event that can be repeated.”

The supreme leader’s statements came while the Pentagon has acknowledged that a ballistic missile Iran fired toward Qatar late last month, in response to the American attack on Iranian nuclear facilities, directly hit Al Udeid base near Doha.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell made the remarks after the AP news agency analyzed satellite images indicating that an Iranian attack on the air base in Qatar that’s key to the US military hit a geodesic dome housing equipment used by the Americans for secure communications.

The Iranian attack on Al Udeid Air Base on June 23 came as a response to the American bombing of three nuclear sites in Iran — and provided Iran a way to retaliate that quickly led to a ceasefire brokered by Trump ending the 12-day Iran-Israel war.

The Iranian attack otherwise did little damage - likely because of the fact that the US evacuated its aircraft from the base, which is home to the forward headquarters of the US military’s Central Command, before the attack.

Trump also has said that Iran signaled when and how it would retaliate, allowing American and Qatari air defense to be ready for the attack, which briefly disrupted air travel in the Middle East.