Walt Disney appoints 'Moana' writer Jared Bush as creative head of animation studios
Yen nurses losses as BOJ meets, dollar dogged by rate outlook
Oil prices set to end week higher after US rate cut
China unexpectedly leaves lending rates steady; markets expect cuts soon
Newly released video shows Titan submersible on the sea floor
Diana Taurasi all business in what could be final home game of her 20-year career
New York Philharmonic musicians agree to 30% raise over 3-year contract
DUBAI (Reuters) - Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Monday that Tehran would never give up on its missile programme as it needs such deterrence for its security in a region where Iran's arch-foe Israel is able to "drop missiles on Gaza every day".
The Islamic Republic has for years defied Western calls to limit its missile programme.
The United States and its allies have more recently accused Iran of transferring ballistic missiles to Russia for its war in Ukraine, imposing fresh sanctions on Moscow and Tehran.
Both countries have denied the claims.
"If we don’t have missiles, they will bomb us whenever they want, just like in Gaza," Pezeshkian said, referring to the conflict in Gaza between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.
He reiterated Tehran's official stance, calling on the international community "to first disarm Israel before making the same demands to Iran".
(Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; Editing by Gareth Jones)
