Iran Press/Iran news: Responding to an earlier statement by the French foreign minister, threatening to impose new sanctions against Iran, Bahram Ghassemi said: "The Islamic Republic of Iran has consistently called for the consolidation of peace and stability in the region."
The spokesman went on to say: "The massive sale of sophisticated weapons by United States of America and some European countries, including France, goes against regional stability and balance, and is harmful to the region," Iran Press reported.
Ghassemi added: "The Islamic Republic of Iran has designed its own defensive capabilities based on a real assessment of existing regional threats and will strengthen these defenses wherever it deems fit."
He added that Iran's missile power cannot be negotiated, and this point has been communicated to the French side during ongoing political talks between Tehran and Paris.
The foreign ministry spokesman said the French foreign minister's threat to impose new sanctions, is against the spirit of political dialogue and cooperation between Tehran and Paris."
Ghassemi reiterated that Iran would reconsider its interaction with Europe if any new sanctions were introduced by the European side.
The French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Friday that Paris is ready to impose further sanctions on Tehran if no progress is made in talks over Iran’s ballistic missile program.
The French foreign ministry had previously claimed Iran's missile program is not consistent with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231.
In recent years, Iran has made several major breakthroughs in its defense sector and attained self-sufficiency in manufacturing military equipment and hardware despite sanctions and economic pressures on the country.
Iran has also stressed that there is no military aspect to its satellite activity and that its missile tests are not banned under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) or UNSC Resolution 2231, because the missiles are not designed to deliver nuclear warheads. 101/ 211/ 213
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