Speaking to ILNA, Dehqan rejected Trump’s claim that his Iran policy has curbed Tehran’s behavior in the region, saying such remarks manifest the U.S. president’s “lack of understanding” of the Islamic Republic.

“Iran is not the same country that it was a few months ago,” Trump said at a news conference earlier this month. “They’re a much, much different group of leaders,” he claimed.

Dehqan said Tehran has no relations with Washington which would influence its policies toward America.

On the possibility of talks with the West over Tehran’s missile program, the former minister said the issue was neither open to negotiations during nuclear talks, nor it will be in the future.

The missile power is part of the Iranian nation’s strength, he said, adding that the enemy would not tolerate the nation’s power and is willing to destroy such power “through any means possible”.

Iran has repeatedly said that its missile program is non-negotiable and that it has a deterrence nature.

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