Pezeshkian rules out talks on Iran’s missile program

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran’s missile program was not included in its memorandum with the United States and would never be open to negotiation.

Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad after meeting Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Pezeshkian rejected any discussion of Iran’s missile capabilities, saying: “The missile issue is not part of the memorandum we had, and it never will be.”

He defended Iran’s missile program as essential to the country’s defense, saying: “If we did not have our missiles, which are for our defense, Israel and the United States would have razed Iran like Gaza and would not have spared old or young.”

Pezeshkian accused Washington and Israel of hypocrisy on human rights, calling their claims “a big lie,” and added: “We will never, ever negotiate with anyone over our defense capability.”