TEHRAN // Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have so many missiles they don’t know where to hide them, a senior commander said on Friday, after the United States threatened to impose fresh sanctions.
“We lack enough space in our stockpiles to house our missiles,” said General Hossein Salami, the Guards’ deputy, as a row with the US over Iran’s ballistic missile programme deepened.
“Hundreds of long tunnels are full of missiles ready to fly to protect your integrity, independence and freedom,” he told worshippers in Tehran, promising to never “stop developing our defence deterrent”.
Iranian state television aired in October unprecedented footage of such an underground missile base.
The general’s comments came after reports that the US had planned — but later shelved — to unveil a fresh round of sanctions following two recent missile tests by the Islamic republic.
The mooted financial penalties on companies and individuals for apparent links to Tehran’s missile programme.
They also put in jeopardy a landmark deal struck in July between Iran and six world powers including the US, which is due to be formally implemented within weeks.
Iran’s president Hassan Rouhani denounced the US moves Thursday as “hostile and illegal interventions” that must be met with a response.
He ordered the military to intensify its missile development and take whatever steps necessary to start new programmes if they would better serve Iran’s defence.
After Mr Rouhani’s comments the White House put the sanctions on hold indefinitely, The Wall Street Journal reported, though officials said the measures remained on the table for use if necessary.
* Agence France-Presse