"We will negotiate with no one on our weapons," Rouhani stated during a press conference in Tehran, adding that Iran's existing missiles are purely defensive and not designed to carry weapons of mass destruction "since we don't have any."
The president further reiterated the country's position on the so-called Iran nuclear deal (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) signed in 2015 with P+1 states, saying that it could not be renegotiated, despite threats from US President Donald Trump to reimpose sanctions unless Iran's missiles and regional behavior are limited.
"The key to the problems between Tehran and Washington is in Washington's hands. They need to stop their threats and sanctions and pressure, and automatically the situation will improve and we can think about our future," Rouhani said.
Describing Iran's policy in the Middle East, the recently released US Nuclear Posture Review (NPR), claims that Tehran views Washington's influence in the region as a threat to its goal of becoming the dominant regional power. Thus, as the NPR explains, Iran continues to fund the largest missile program in the Middle East and could, in the future, threaten or deliver weapons, developing increasingly long-range ballistic missile capabilities, and pursuing its alleged "aggressive efforts" to undermine neighboring governments, casting doubt on its "long-term commitment to foregoing nuclear weapons capability."
Commenting on the document, Rouhani called it a threat to the human race.
READ MORE: Iran on US Nuclear Posture Review: Doctrine Menaces Destruction of Human Race
Iran Nuclear Deal (JCPOA)
The long-cherished JCPOA, considered to be a diplomatic triumph by Trump's predecessor Barack Obama, stipulates that Iran will significantly restrict its uranium-enrichment activities in exchange for scrapping nuclear-related sanctions against Tehran.
READ MORE: US 'Endangering People All Over the World' With Threat to Dump Iran Nuke Deal
Despite Trump's decision not to certify the deal, other JCPOA signatories have called on the United States to comply with the agreement's provisions, saying that the deal had yielded results and was non-negotiable.