TEHRAN, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday vowed that Tehran will never negotiate on its defense capabilities, including its missile program.
The Iranian leader made the remarks at a ceremony attended by Iran's army commanders, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported.
"Today, our conflict with the arrogant powers is over their intention to dominate our region," Khamenei said, referring to the United States and its major Western allies.
He added that the U.S. opposes Iran's influence in the Middle East and beyond.
"One of the main issues of the country is the people's livelihood, which depends upon the economy. Economy requires security and must be built on a secure foundation," Khamenei said.
The Iranian leader reaffirmed that, to ensure Iran's security, "the defense capabilities of the country are never negotiable."
U.S. President Donald Trump has refused to recertify the 2015 nuclear deal signed between Iran and some major powers, while blasting Iran for violating the spirit of the deal by continuing its missile program.
Trump has suggested that the Iranian missiles might be used for carrying a nuclear warhead, an allegation that Iran has strongly rejected.
