Iran determined to further missile program

A senior Iranian military commander said that his country is firmly determined to further develop its missile defense system, the local English-language satellite TV reported Monday. Deputy Chief of Staff of Iran's Armed Forces Brigadier General Mostafa Izadi was quoted as saying on Sunday that by developing its missile defense system Iran would upgrade its deterrence capabilities in face of any threat of aggression. Izadi hailed Iran's missile capabilities and said the country's missile program was entirely developed and managed by local scientists and academic scholars. He said the fact that the Islamic republic was currently in possession of ground-to-ground missiles and could utilize its home- built rockets to launch domestically designed and developed satellites into the orbit was an indication that Iran's missile program had advanced from the experimental level to maturity, according to the report. Iranian missile program, first initiated and organized by the country's defense ministry, was moving ahead in full speed, he was quoted as saying. Iran have developed and tested a number of short, medium and long-range missile systems in the past years. Iranian officials have said that the country's missile advancements have a purpose of deterrence.