Iran on Sunday dismissed US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's allegation that Tehran may be working to develop missiles capable of reaching the United States, the official IRNA News Agency reported.

"Acquiring missiles which could have a range up to America is a new issue which we hear," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi was quoted by the agency as saying.

"Such a program is not on our agenda and this propaganda of certain American officials is only for media consumption," he said.

Rumsfeld, speaking at the seventh annual Space and Missile Defense Conference on Wednesday, named Iran among countries that were allegedly working to develop and deploy missiles capable of reaching the United States.

Relations between Iran and the United States have always been tense since the Islamic Revolution of Iran in 1979.

The United States accuses Iran of supporting terrorism and seeking nuclear weapons, while Iran terms the United States as the enemy of all Islamic countries.

As on the nuclear issue, Iran says its nuclear activity is solely for peaceful purposes, but the United States alleges Iran may also be in pursuit of nuclear weapons.

(Xinhua News Agency August 23, 2004)