TEHRAN, July 12 (Xinhua) -- Iran on Thursday dismissed as "baseless" the concerns over its ballistic missile program expressed by the leaders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Concluding a summit in Brussels, NATO leaders on Thursday expressed concerns over Iran's "destabilizing" activities in the Middle East, its intensified missile tests, and the range and precision of its ballistic missiles.
"We closely monitored the discussion at the meeting, especially the United States' behavior and pressures on members of NATO," said Iranian Foreign Ministry's spokesperson Bahram Qasemi.
It is surprising that some states and individuals still insist on repeating "baseless allegations" regarding Iran's policies, Qasemi said.
NATO leaders also urged Iran to continue to fully cooperate in a timely manner with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Qasemi responded that the IAEA, as the only specialized international authority on nuclear issues, has always corroborated the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear activities.
"NATO member states' concern over Iran's missile program is completely pointless," the spokesperson noted.
The Islamic republic's missile program is completely conventional and defensive, and Iran, like all independent countries in the world, is entitled to have all conventional defense programs, he insisted.
Qasemi added that Iran's regional policy favors cooperation and dialogue within the region and with its neighbors. "Iran believes none of the crises in the region has a military solution," he said.
