Tehran strongly rejected fresh American claims about its ballistic missile development and nuclear activities on Wednesday. Iran’s foreign ministry labeled the allegations outright fabrications.
Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei fired back swiftly on X. He described repeated assertions from Washington concerning Iran’s nuclear program, ballistic missiles, and the death toll from recent unrest as nothing more than “big lies.” Although Baqaei kept his response general, the timing pointed directly to comments made earlier that day by President Donald Trump.
Trump’s sharp accusations on missiles
Hours before the Iranian rebuttal, Trump declared that Tehran actively pursued long-range missiles capable of reaching United States territory. In his State of the Union address, the president also warned firmly that Washington would never permit Iran to develop a nuclear weapon. He accused Iranian leaders of secretly chasing “sinister nuclear ambitions” once again. Iran has consistently denied any intention to build nuclear arms. Instead, officials maintain that the country pursues nuclear technology strictly for peaceful civilian purposes.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Al Jazeera earlier this month that Tehran currently lacks the range to strike the American mainland. However, he stressed that any US military attack would prompt immediate retaliation against American bases across the Middle East.
Disputed claims over protest deaths
Trump further alleged that Iranian security forces killed 32,000 people during nationwide protests that erupted in December and intensified on January 8 and 9. Iranian authorities admit more than 3,000 fatalities occurred. They attribute the violence largely to “terrorist acts” allegedly instigated and supported by the United States and Israel. Independent estimates vary widely. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency documented over 7,000 deaths and cautioned that the true number probably climbs much higher.
