News - Middle East: Iran has dismissed hostile remarks by the US secretary of state against its military program, saying the country’s defense power is merely intended for deterrence and defense purposes and is not against any country.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a press release on Thursday that the US is “firmly committed to disrupting Iran’s military procurement activities,” adding that Washington was designating entities from Iran and China for what he called involvement in destabilizing behavior.

In a statement on Sunday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kan’ani repudiated those “provocative comments,” arguing that they were made with the sole purpose of marketing US-built ammunition through “the failed project of Iranophobia and creating divisions among regional countries.”

“In contrast to the ill-advised remarks by the US regime’s secretary of state, the Islamic Republic of Iran has always placed emphasis on regional dialogue, collaboration and cooperation in order to ensure the security and common interests of regional countries without foreign interference,” he said