Iranian sources involved in negotiations denied on Tuesday that ballistic missiles are part of any current or future talks with the United States. According to Iran’s Fars news agency, those sources said the agenda is limited strictly to the nuclear file and that no expansion of the talks has been agreed.
The denial came in response to Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who said the U.S. and Iran would hold technical-level talks within the next 60 days on the nuclear issue, ballistic missiles and the Islamic Republic’s frozen assets. Iranian negotiators said Sharif’s suggestion that the next round could broaden to include missiles was inaccurate and likely reflected a lack of information.
The Iranian delegation also said that the documents and memoranda tied to the negotiations contain no clause related to Iran’s missile program. In their account, the discussions are focused only on nuclear questions, with no change in scope.
The same sources said Pakistan is not currently playing a major mediating role between Tehran and Washington, and argued that Sharif’s comments were meant to highlight Islamabad’s diplomatic importance. They said Qatar is presently the most active mediator between the two sides.
