“Big lies”: Iran rejects US claims on missile programme

• Iran’s Foreign Ministry dismissed President Trump’s assertions that Tehran is developing missiles capable of striking the US and that 32,000 protesters were killed in recent unrest, labeling these reports "big lies" while acknowledging only 3,000 deaths.
• Ahead of a third round of negotiations in Geneva this Thursday, Iran continues to reject US demands for "zero uranium enrichment" and missile curbs, even as a massive US naval deployment maintains pressure on the Islamic Republic.

Iran's foreign ministry on Wednesday dismissed US claims about its missile programme as "big lies,” after President Donald Trump said Tehran was developing missiles that can strike the United States.

"Whatever they're alleging in regards to Iran's nuclear programme, Iran's ballistic missiles, and the number of casualties during January's unrest, is simply the repetition of 'big lies'," ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said on X.

Baqaei did not specify exactly which claims he was responding to, but hours earlier Trump had said Iran was seeking missiles that could reach American soil.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said earlier that Tehran lacked the capability to target the US but would attack American bases in the Middle East if Washington launched a strike.

During his State of the Union speech, Trump also reiterated that Iran would never be allowed to build a nuclear weapon, saying Tehran's leaders were "at this moment again pursuing their sinister nuclear ambitions".

Iran has repeatedly denied it is seeking a nuclear weapon but insists it has the right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

The US president also claimed that Iranian authorities killed 32,000 people during a wave of protests that started in December and peaked on January 8 and 9.

Iranian officials acknowledge more than 3,000 deaths, but say the violence was caused by "terrorist acts" fuelled by the United States and ‘Israel’.

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has recorded more than 7,000 deaths, while warning the full toll is likely far higher.

Trump's claims come after Washington and Tehran concluded two rounds of Oman-mediated talks aimed at reaching a deal on the nuclear programme, with the third round set for Thursday.

Washington has repeatedly called for zero uranium enrichment by Iran but has also sought to address its ballistic missile programme and support for militant groups in the region, demands Iran has rejected.

Trump, who has ratcheted up pressure on Iran to reach an agreement, has deployed a significant naval force to the Middle East.