TEHRAN: Iran on Wednesday dismissed as "nonsense" US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's criticism this week of the Islamic republic's missile programme as an "unacceptable risk".
"He was speaking nonsense," foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told journalists, adding the United States was "not supposed to comment on the defensive capabilities of a nation that has decided to preserve its independence at any cost."
The missile programme was Iran's means "to stand against the greed, aggression and assaults of foreigners -- including the US and the Zionist regime", he said, referring to Israel.
During a Monday visit to Israel, Rubio vowed to maintain the "maximum pressure" policy of sanctions against Tehran which was imposed during US President Donald Trump's first term in office.
That policy saw Washington unilaterally withdraw from the landmark 2015 nuclear accord between Iran and world powers.
"A nuclear Iran governed by a radical Shiite cleric that possesses not just nuclear weapons potentially but the missiles that could deliver those weapons far away is an unacceptable risk, not just for Israel, not just for the United States, but for the world," Rubio said at a joint news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The United States would press ahead with pressure on Iran until "they change course", he added.
In mid-June, Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign against Iran, triggering a war during which Iran responded with deadly missile and drone strikes.
The conflict -- which derailed high-level nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington -- saw the US striking key nuclear facilities in Iran.
In September Iran's security chief, Ali Larijani, said Tehran remained open to nuclear talks with Washington but ruled out any limits on its missile programme.