Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
TEHRAN, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) — Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Saturday that Iran's missile program "has never been and will never be a subject of negotiations" with the United States.
The Iranian Foreign Minister made the statement in an interview with Qatar's Al Jazeera television channel, excerpts of which were published in Persian on Saturday on its Telegram channel.
Commenting on the indirect talks between Iran and the United States held yesterday, which focused exclusively on the Iranian nuclear issue, A. Araghchi noted that they were a good "start," but that there is still a long way to go to build trust.
In recent months, the United States has called on Iran to curb its missile program, but Tehran has firmly rejected the demands.
"The missile program will never be negotiable, as it is a defense issue," the Iranian diplomat emphasized. "We hope to see this approach reflected in US policy," he added.
Recalling that the US and Israel failed to destroy Iran's nuclear potential even by bombing its nuclear facilities last June, A. Araghchi reaffirmed the country's "inalienable" right to continue enriching uranium on its own territory.
Speaking about the possibility of an attack by the United States, A. Araghchi noted that Iran is not capable of striking the territory of the United States, but it can target American bases in Western Asia.
The February 6 talks between US and Iranian delegations, led by US Special Presidential Envoy for the Middle East Steven Witkoff and A. Araghchi, marked a new diplomatic step amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington over the buildup of American military presence in the region.
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