Iran: Our missile program is outside any negotiations with Washington

The two sides had signed, on Wednesday evening, a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the war in the Middle East and opening a negotiating path extending for 60 days, which can be extended by agreement of the two parties, to reach a final agreement on the Iranian nuclear program and ease the sanctions imposed on Tehran.

The Iranian missile program

It did not include The memorandum contains no reference to the Iranian missile program, despite it being one of the most prominent files that has sparked American and Israeli criticism over the past years.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Ismail Baghaei, said that his country’s missile and defense capabilities "It is not subject to negotiation"stressing that the Iranian missiles are intended for defense and will not be a subject of discussion in any negotiating track or with any party.

This position comes despite the damage to the Iranian missile infrastructure during the recent war, while Tehran continues to insist on rejecting any discussions dealing with its defensive capabilities.

Iranian missile arsenal

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had called before the outbreak of the war to Including the Iranian missile arsenal in any future negotiations, considering that it represents a threat to Israel and American bases in the region.

On the other hand, US President Donald Trump seemed more flexible regarding this issue, as he said on the sidelines of the G7 summit in France that it is "Unfair" Depriving Iran of possessing missiles at a time when other countries possess them.

Trump stressed that the missile issue is different from the nuclear weapons issue.