Iran’s foreign ministry has dismissed recent United States allegations regarding its missile and nuclear programmes, describing the claims as “big lies” amid escalating rhetoric between Tehran and Washington.
The rebuttal followed statements by Donald Trump, who alleged that Iran was developing missiles capable of striking the United States. Iranian officials, however, insist the accusations are unfounded.
Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei made the denial in a post on X (social media platform), stating that claims relating to Iran’s nuclear programme, ballistic missile development, and casualty figures from recent unrest were simply the repetition of what he called “big lies”.
Baqaei did not directly specify which statements he was addressing, but his remarks came hours after Trump suggested that Tehran was pursuing long-range missiles capable of reaching American territory.
In a separate interview with Al Jazeera, Abbas Araghchi stated that Iran currently lacks the capability to target the United States but would respond by striking American military bases in the Middle East if Washington initiated an attack.
During his State of the Union address, Trump also reiterated that Iran would never be permitted to develop nuclear weapons, accusing Tehran’s leadership of pursuing what he described as “sinister nuclear ambitions”.
Iran has consistently denied seeking nuclear weapons, maintaining that its nuclear activities are intended for peaceful purposes and civilian energy development.
The US president further claimed that Iranian authorities were responsible for the deaths of about 32,000 people during protests that reportedly began in December and peaked in early January.
Iranian officials, however, acknowledge fewer than 3,000 deaths, attributing much of the violence to what they described as “terrorist acts” allegedly influenced by the United States and Israel.
Meanwhile, the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), a US-based monitoring organisation, has documented more than 7,000 deaths, warning that the true figure could be significantly higher.
The latest exchange of statements comes after two rounds of Oman-mediated negotiations between Washington and Tehran aimed at reaching a nuclear agreement, with a third round of talks scheduled for Thursday.
The United States has continued to press for an end to uranium enrichment activities in Iran while also raising concerns over Tehran’s ballistic missile programme and its support for regional militant groups — demands Iran has firmly rejected.
Amid the diplomatic tensions, Trump has also deployed a substantial US naval presence to the Middle East, signalling Washington’s continued pressure on Tehran to reach a broader security agreement.
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