Iran is determined to strengthen its deterrent power and continue its missile program, Defense Minister Amir Hatami said Thursday.

Despite all restrictions and problems, significant progress has been made in Iran's defense industry in the current Iranian calendar year ending Saturday, said Hatami in a gathering of the Defense Ministry's high-ranking officials in the capital Tehran, Tasnim news agency reported.

"In the fields of defense and missile power ... we will continue moving toward great objectives with all our power," he added.

His remarks came amid the call of the West for a halt in Iran's ballistic missile program.

"Iran's defense capabilities will never be subject to negotiations," Hatami noted.

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(Cover: A ballistic missile is launched and tested in an undisclosed location, Iran, in this handout photo released by the official website of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on March 8, 2016. /Reuters)