Pezeshkian in Pakistan: Iran’s Missile Power Stopped Gaza-Style Destruction

Tehran: Iranian President Masoud Pejeshkian has made it clear that his country will not negotiate with any country regarding its missile capability. Pejeshkian, who is on a visit to Pakistan, said that Iran's missile programme is an important part of its national security and defence, on which no compromise is possible.

During an event organised in Islamabad, Pejeshkian said that if Iran did not have strong missile capabilities, America and Israel could have destroyed the country like Gaza. He claimed that the missile programme has played an important role in ensuring Iran's security.

What did Pejeshkian say about the missile programme?

The Iranian President said, "We will never negotiate with anyone regarding our defence capability. Our missiles are the basis of the country's security and there will be no compromise on this issue."

He also reiterated that the missile programme has not been included in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the US and Iran and it will not be a part of any talks in the future.

Are there any accusations of double standards against America?

Pezeshkian criticised America on the issue of human rights, saying that Washington adopts double standards in front of the world. They said that politics is done in the name of human rights, whereas the reality is different.

According to them, if Iran did not strengthen its defense capability, external powers could threaten the country's sovereignty and security.

What did Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif say?

Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, who is playing the role of mediator between America and Iran, also said that there is no mention of ballistic missile programme in the MoU signed between the two countries.

Responding to a question, Sharif said that Iran's missile programme was not part of the agenda of US-Iran talks. He said that this topic was not discussed nor was it included in the agreement.

What did Sharif say?

Shehbaz Sharif said the international community should adopt a similar approach on the issue of ballistic missiles. He said that it is not fair to allow some countries to have missiles and deny it to other countries.

"Double standards cannot be accepted. If some countries can have ballistic missiles, then it is not justifiable to deprive Iran of them," Sharif said.

This statement of the Iranian president is being considered important at a time when talks are going on between America and Iran regarding nuclear programme and regional security. In such a situation, Iran's tough stance on the missile programme may affect diplomatic discussions in the coming days.