Pezeshkian Links Iran’s Missile Program to National Survival

Speaking during a visit to Pakistan, Pezeshkian underscored that Tehran would not entertain talks regarding its arsenal under any circumstances. His stance found support from Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who criticized what he described as Western duplicity, questioning why certain nations are permitted to maintain ballistic programs while Iran is pressured to dismantle its own. Sharif noted that recent preliminary agreements between Washington and Tehran pointedly omitted the missile issue.

Iran’s reliance on ballistic technology traces back to the 1980s, when the country sought to offset its vulnerabilities during the war with Iraq. Since then, the program has evolved in both range and precision. While Israel, situated 1,500 kilometers away, views these assets as an existential threat, the diplomatic landscape has shown signs of shifting. Recently, U.S. President Donald Trump suggested that it might be unfair to deny Iran such defenses if other nations are allowed to possess them, marking a potential departure from previous U.S. demands to include the missile program in broader nuclear negotiations.