Iran's foreign ministry is insisting the missile tests carried out by the country this week do not violate Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers or a UN Security Council resolution.

According to the Associated Press, Ministry spokesman Hossein Jaberi Ansari was quoted by the official IRNA news agency on Thursday, March 10, as saying the missiles were "conventional defensive instruments and they were merely for legitimate defense."

Ansari says the test-firing "did not defy the Security Council resolution."

Iran's Revolutionary Guard test-launched two ballistic missiles on Wednesday emblazoned with the phrase "Israel must be wiped out" in Hebrew — a show of power by the Shiite nation, long an opponent of Israel.

It was the latest in a series of recent tests, aimed at demonstrating Iran's intentions to push ahead with its ballistic program.