Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif echoed this sentiment, highlighting that ballistic missiles were not addressed in the recent memorandum of understanding. Both leaders stressed the importance of regional stability and diplomatic efforts.
Photo : AP
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday said Tehran’s ballistic missile programme was not included in the preliminary agreement that helped end the recent conflict and would “never” be part of future negotiations with the United States. Speaking during a visit to Islamabad, Pakistan, Pezeshkian said Iran remained willing to engage in dialogue despite deep mistrust of Washington.
“We do not trust America because it attacked us twice during the negotiations, but we are still ready for dialogue and peace,” he said. He added: “We are holding on to our strengths in the upcoming negotiations, and no negotiations have taken place regarding ballistic missiles, nor will they.”
Pezeshkian also defended Iran’s missile capabilities, describing them as essential to the country’s security. “If we did not have our missiles, which are for our self-defence, Israel and America would have plowed through Iran the way they did Gaza,” he said.
At a joint news conference in Islamabad, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said ballistic missiles were never discussed during negotiations that led to the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Tehran and Washington. “There is no mention of ballistic missiles in the MOU because it was never on the table,” Sharif said.
He also criticised what he described as double standards, arguing that Iran should not face restrictions while other countries retain missile capabilities.
Sharif praised Iran’s leadership for helping secure both the ceasefire and the agreement with the United States. “Please convey my warmest regards to His Eminence, the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei. Thanks to his leadership, Iran has been able to achieve this MOU and, as a result, a ceasefire with dignity and honour,” he said.
The Pakistani Prime Minister added that Islamabad hoped to continue acting as a mediator “until a lasting peace is achieved”. Sharif also thanked Iran for its cooperation and said Pakistan remained committed to promoting regional stability through diplomacy.
This comes days after President Trump suggested that Iran retaining conventional missile capabilities might not pose a significant problem. “If other countries have them, it’s a little bit unfair for them not to have some,” Trump said while attending the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France. “Am I going to let Saudi Arabia have missiles, but (Iran) can’t have them? It doesn’t work that way.”
