'Iran will press on with missile programme'

Iran’s president says his country will press ahead with its missile programme and continue to boost military capabilities in defiance of US demands to the contrary.

Hassan Rouhani spoke during a military parade on Friday commemorating the 1980s Iran-Iraq war.

He says Iran “will strengthen our defense and military capabilities ... whether you want it or not” — a statement directed at the United States and President Donald Trump’s speech at the UN General Assembly.

In the speech, Trump accused Iran of supporting terrorists and called Tehran a “corrupt dictatorship” and a “murderous regime.”

Rouhani also said Tehran will keep supporting the “oppressed people of Yemen, Syria and Palestine,” a reference to Iran’s role in wars in Yemen and Syria and its support for Palestinian militant groups such as Hamas.