Iran says its powerful Revolutionary Guard has acquired missiles with multiple warheads, a step that it says is a major boost of its defense capabilities, according to the Associated Press.

The claim by Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan is the latest reported advance in Iran's domestic missile production program.

He says Western sanctions have not stopped Iran from augmenting its ability to deter its enemies from attacking the Islamic Republic, a reference to Israel and the U.S.

His comments were posted on the Guard website, sepahnews.com, Wednesday.

Iran regularly announces breakthroughs in military technology that are impossible to independently verify. But the Pentagon released a rare public report in 2012 noting significant advances in Iranian missile technology, acknowledging that the Islamic Republic has improved the accuracy and firing capabilities.