Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that Iran's ballistic missile program was never discussed during negotiations between Tehran and Washington, stressing that the issue was not included in the recently signed Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
Speaking at a joint press conference with visiting Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian after delegation-level talks in Islamabad, Sharif dismissed suggestions that Iran's missile capabilities were part of the US-Iran dialogue.
Responding to a question on Iran's nuclear and missile technology, Sharif said he would state "without fear of contradiction that Iran's ballistic missile program was not a subject of discussion between the US and Iran."
"It was not on the table." "It is not possible that others have missiles and Iran does not have them," he said. Iran's missile program remains a key concern for Israel, which came under heavy missile attacks during the recent conflict.
Last week, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei reiterated Tehran's position that its defense capabilities are non-negotiable.
Iranian media rejects Sharif's missile claimsPM Shehbaz Sharif’s remarks regarding Iran-US negotiations are “completely mistaken" and likely stem from a lack of information, Iranian state media has said, rejecting Islamabad’s claims of playing a “significant" mediatory role. Sources quoted by Fars News Agency said Pakistan currently plays no significant role in mediating between Tehran and Washington and that Sharif’s statements appear aimed at amplifying Islamabad’s intermediary role. The report said Qatar, and not Pakistan, is playing the most effective role in facilitating contacts between the two sides. The sources further said that Iran has rejected Pakistan’s attempts to project itself as a key intermediary. |
