Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says it will continue its missile tests and research more actively than ever in defiance of the US pressure and sanctions.

Speaking to Iran’s official news agency IRNA on Friday, IRGC deputy commander for coordination Brigadier General Ali Fadavi said conducting research on military equipment and missiles is a permanent job of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps.

Fadavi described it as a vital issue for Iran just like breathing, and asked, “Is it possible [for a person] to stop breathing?”

He pointed to the US pressures and sanctions on the Islamic Republic, and said they are always opportunities for Iran, as they create conditions for the country to rely on its own capabilities.

“The harsher the sanctions get, the more defensive capabilities Iran will achieve,” he added.

Fadavi’s comments came a few weeks after the latest ballistic missile test by the Iranian armed forces. The move was described as a significant one by IRGC Aerospace Commander Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh.

“We will continue to conduct our missile tests and this latest one was particularly significant,” Hajizadeh said on Dec. 11, reacting to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s position on Iran’s missile tests.