Iran has reiterated its categorical rejection of including its missile capabilities in negotiations with the US, according to Iranian media.
On Wednesday, the Secretary of Iran’s newly-formed Defense Council, Ali Shamkhani, said that Tehran’s missile capabilities “are not a subject to be negotiated,” reported Tasnim News Agency.
“The Islamic Republic’s missile capabilities are non-negotiable,” Shamkhani, who is also a senior advisor to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, said during a march commemorating the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.
The US and Iran held the first round of indirect negotiations in Oman on Friday, which only addressed the Iranian nuclear program.
US President Donald Trump has been ramping up military presence in the Middle East, threatening Iran with a “massive armada” heading toward the country if a nuclear deal is not reached.
Washington has long demanded to include Iran’s ballistic missile program in the talks. However, Tehran has insisted that the talks would be limited to its nuclear program, saying it was ready to dilute its highly enriched uranium in exchange for the full removal of sanctions.
Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet in the White House on Wednesday, with Iran high on the meeting’s agenda.
Israel is pressing the US to include Iran’s missile program in the negotiations, which it considers a “grave threat” to its security.
As a result, members of Netanyahu’s cabinet are signaling that Israel may still take unilateral action if the US reaches a narrow agreement that temporarily halts uranium enrichment and does not restrict Tehran’s missile capabilities.
