President Masoud Pezeshkian stated Tuesday evening that Iran's ballistic missile program was not part of any memorandum of understanding and never will be, asserting that the Islamic Republic will never discuss its defense capabilities with anyone. The statement, reported by i24NEWS, reinforces Tehran's longstanding refusal to negotiate its missile arsenal.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian raised the rhetorical stakes Tuesday evening, declaring that Tehran's ballistic missile program was never part of any memorandum of understanding and never will be. According to i24NEWS, Pezeshkian stated: "We will never discuss our defense capabilities with anyone." The remark sharpened previous statements — the initial report, carried by Hebrew-language Telegram channels at 19:39 Jerusalem, had quoted Pezeshkian saying Iran would never negotiate its defensive capabilities; the current version, reported by i24NEWS, specifically denies the missile program's inclusion in any past or future memorandum.
The evolution reflects a ratcheting of language over a short timeframe. At 19:39 Jerusalem, Pezeshkian's blanket refusal was reported without mention of a memorandum. By the i24NEWS version — the one now circulating — a specific denial that missiles were "never part of any memorandum" was added, though Pezeshkian did not name which document he was referencing. The desk's earlier reporting noted that Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ismael Baqaei, on June 18, stated that Iran's missiles "are for launching, not for negotiation," a line Pezeshkian has now elevated to the presidential level.
The statement lands during sustained Israeli-Iranian and US-Iranian tensions. As The Zioneer reported on June 12, President Donald Trump dismissed Iranian claims of ongoing negotiation terms as "fake news" following drone strikes, while a June 21 bulletin described the capture of a Hezbollah drone factory with 50 explosive UAVs — underscoring the live military dimension alongside the diplomatic one.
The remarks were attributed to a single outlet (i24NEWS) and have not been independently corroborated by the desk. Pezeshkian did not specify which memorandum he referenced, nor did he offer a timeline or context for his claim — leaving the question of what exactly was denied unresolved.
2 developments
- DevelopingIran: missile and defense capabilities off the table in any talks, spokesman says
- StrongIranian president: We pledged not to build a nuclear bomb at Washington's request
- DevelopingIran's Pezeshkian: 'The enemy must only dream we will yield to aggression'
- DevelopingIran's president: 'We will not bow to American arrogance'
Source and signal
- Internal intake