TEHRAN, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- Iran's missile program is for defensive purposes and the Islamic republic will never negotiate over it, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was quoted as saying by Press TV on Saturday.

"Primarily, Iran's missiles are for defense and we need them for deterrence," Zarif said.

"Besides, we use resources for military expenses far less than any other country in the region. That is why we have announced from very beginning that our missiles are non-negotiable, " he said.

Zarif is currently in Qatar to attend the Doha Forum 2018.

He made the remarks in Doha in response to a question about U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's allegation on December 1, who claimed that Iran had test-fired a medium range ballistic missile in violation of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2231.

On Tuesday, Iran confirmed the missile test, rejected the allegations of breaching the UNSC resolution and vowed to continue development of its missile program.