Eyeing second round of US talks, Iranian officials say they are willing to talk nuclear, but draw a red line on ballistic missiles.
Iran is unwilling to compromise on its missile capabilities, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader has said, indicating a potential sticking point in negotiations with the United States.
Ali Shamkhani made the statement on Wednesday during an event marking the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. “The Islamic Republic’s missile capabilities are non-negotiable,” he was quoted by state media as saying.
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His remarks follow a round of mediated talks between the US and Iranian officials last week in Oman that failed to yield a breakthrough. Iran wants the talks to focus exclusively on nuclear issues, while the US has pushed to also address Iran’s ballistic missile programme and regional alliances.
“The Iranians are saying we are ready to talk nuclear, but we are not ready to talk ballistics,” said Al Jazeera’s Ali Hashem, reporting from Tehran, Iran. “For the United States, this is a big issue.”
Many Iranians, still marked by memories of last June’s 12-day war with Israel that killed some 610 people in the country, fear the prospect of renewed conflict. “Many here are quite concerned this could lead to something unfavourable,” said Hashem.
‘Will not yield to aggression’
Washington and Tehran are weighing another round of talks, though no date has been announced.
US President Donald Trump has sent mixed signals on the negotiations. While saying the first round was “very good”, he also threatened military action if Iran does not meet US demands.
“Either we will make a deal, or we will have to do something very tough like last time,” Trump told US news site Axios on Tuesday.
Trump also floated the idea of sending a second aircraft carrier towards Iran, a menacing signal after the US bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities in June.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said Wednesday that his country is ready to prove the peaceful nature of its nuclear programme, but would not “not yield to excessive demands”.
“Our Iran will not yield in the face of aggression, but we are continuing dialogue with all our strength with neighbouring countries in order to establish peace and tranquillity in the region,” Pezeshkian said.
Qatari emir speaks to Trump, Iran’s Larijani
Meanwhile, Iran’s Ali Larijani, another senior adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, visited Qatar and met with Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to discuss the status of US talks.
That discussion on Wednesday was positive, Larijani told Al Jazeera, adding that Iran remains in contact with “all sides” about a possible second round of US talks.
The Qatari emir also spoke by phone with Trump ahead of the US president’s meeting with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Israeli premier is expected to press Trump to take a hardline stance in negotiations with Iran, including demanding concessions on Tehran’s military arsenal, including ballistic missiles, and support for regional groups like Hezbollah.
Hassan Ahmadian, an associate professor at the University of Tehran, said Iran views its ballistic missile programme as a red line because it’s critical to its defence.
“There are limits to what Iran can offer,” Ahmadian told Al Jazeera. “So far, the Iranian decision-makers have been insisting that a talk on Iran’s defensive capabilities is unacceptable. It’s an absurd argument to attack a country and then expect it to hand over its main means of defence.”
