WASHINGTON, Oct. 5 (Xinhuanet) -- The US government reiterated its"serious concerns" about Iran's missile program on Tuesday, claiming it is a threat to regional peace and American interests.

    "We view Iran's efforts to further develop its missile capabilities as a threat to the region and to the United States' interests," deputy State Department spokesman Adam Ereli told a news briefing.

    Ereli made the remarks after Iran announced on Tuesday that it has the power to launch a missile with a 2,000 km range.

    Ereli declined to make further comment on Iran's medium-range missile, but he noted "Iran has been in the late stages of developing the Shahab-3 medium-range ballistic missile, and that it has been working on longer-range systems."

    Iran's long-range missile program "has been a concern of ours for some time," the deputy spokesman said.

    In addition to its slam to Iran's missile program, Washington has long been accused Tehran of developing secretly nuclear weapons.

    Rebuffing Washington's allegation, Iran insists its nuclear program is aimed only at generating electricity. Tehran also says its missiles are for defensive purposes and would be used to counter a possible Israeli or US strike against its nuclear facilities. Enditem