Article Posted on : - Jul 03, 2011

A file photo.

TEHRAN (AP): Iran's defence minister has said the country's missile development shows that UN sanctions are ineffective and won't hinder defence programmes.

Gen Ahmad Vahidi said on Saturday that Iran's missile programme was "indigenous" and had no reliance on foreign countries.

The comments come amid 10 days of war games in Iran's latest show of military might. Vahidi's statement was posted on the official website of the Revolutionary Guard, Iran's most powerful military force.

Last week, Iran unveiled underground missile silos for the first time during the missile drill.

Iran is under four sets of UN sanctions over its refusal to halt uranium enrichment. The US and its allies accuse Iran of seeking to build a nuclear weapon, a claim Iran denies.