Iran reacts to US claim it’s developing missiles that could hit America

Iran on Wednesday rejected US allegations regarding its missile program, calling President Donald Trump’s claims that Tehran is developing missiles capable of striking the United States “big lies.”

Speaking on X, Esmaeil Baqaei, spokesman for Iran’s foreign ministry, said:

“Whatever they’re alleging in regards to Iran’s nuclear programme, Iran’s ballistic missiles, and the number of casualties during January’s unrest, is simply the repetition of ‘big lies.’”

Baqaei did not clarify which specific claims he was addressing, but hours earlier Trump had warned that Iran was working to develop missiles that could reach American soil.

Earlier this month, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Al Jazeera that while Tehran does not currently have the capability to strike the US, it would target American bases in the Middle East if Washington launched a strike.

During his State of the Union speech on Tuesday, Trump reiterated that Iran would never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon, claiming Tehran’s leaders were “at this moment again pursuing their sinister nuclear ambitions.”

Iran has consistently denied seeking nuclear weapons, insisting it has the right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

Trump also claimed that Iranian authorities were responsible for 32,000 deaths during protests that began in December and peaked on January 8 and 9.

Iranian officials acknowledge over 3,000 deaths but attribute the violence to “terrorist acts” fuelled by the United States and Israel. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reports more than 7,000 deaths, noting the actual toll could be higher.