The US missile shield protects against the Russian nuclear arsenal as Iranian missiles cannot reach Europe, an Iranian diplomat says.

In an interview with Moscow News published on Thursday, Tehran's Ambassador to Russia, Golamreza Ansari, said Iran does not have long-distance missiles capable of targeting Europe.

It is an American fabrication about Iran to achieve its goals by deploying an antiballistic missile shield in Eastern Europe against Russia, the ambassador insisted.

When asked about military cooperation between Iran and Russia, he said, "We have had military cooperation with Russia for many years. Even before our revolution in the 1970s - in the last few years, military cooperation between Iran and Russia serves to strengthen security in our region and is always geared toward defensive purposes."

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As far as US propaganda against Iran's nuclear activities is concerned, he said that nuclear weapons have no place in Iran's defense doctrine.

Ansari said nuclear arsenal contradicts Iran's national security.

The US foreign policy in the Middle East, particularly the Persian Gulf region, poses the main challenge to Iran's security, the diplomat observed.