TEHRAN (Dispatches) – Iran unveiled a new ballistic missile Friday as its president stepped up pressure on the United States by defending its right to strengthen military defenses.
Called the Khorramshahr missile, the weapon appeared at a military parade in Tehran. It has a range of 2,000 kilometers (nearly 1,250 miles) and can carry multiple warheads.
General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, head of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)’s aerospace division, told Tasnim news agency the warheads have "various uses.”
"As it was observed, the missile has become smaller in size and more tactical and it will be operational in the near future," he told reporters on the sidelines of the parades.
The parades held across the country featured military units from various divisions of the Armed Forces, including the Army, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) as well as the Police Force.
The week-long events are held to mark the sacrifices of the Iranian nation during eight years of a war initiated by Saddam Hussein in the 1980s during which the West sided with the former Iraqi dictator and aided him in various ways.  
Speaking during the parade, President Hassan Rouhani said Tehran would press ahead with strengthening its missile capabilities and military defenses.
"We will promote our defensive and military power as much as we deem necessary," Rouhani said. "We seek no one's permission to defend our land."
Rouhani also said Tehran would keep supporting the "oppressed people of Yemen, Syria and Palestine,” a reference to Iran’s role in wars in Yemen and Syria and support for Palestinian resistance groups, such as Hamas.
During his debut UN speech, Trump accused Iran of stoking violence in the countries referenced by Rouhani.
"Whether you like it or not we are going to help Syria, Yemen and Palestine, and we will strengthen our missiles," the Iranian president said.
Rouhani said the United States and the occupying regime of Israel have isolated themselves by opposing the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and the other major powers. He added that Iran remains fully committed to the pact and that the accord cannot be renegotiated.
The president branded Trump a "rogue newcomer” to international relations and said his approach to the deal was "ignorant and absurd.”