TEHRAN, Dec. 23 — Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday Iran’s missile program has been developed to defend the country’s sovereignty and is “non-negotiable.”
He made the remarks at a weekly press conference in response to a question about whether recent Israeli and U.S. media reports on a possible new Israeli military action against Iran were meant to pressure Tehran into talks over its missile program.
Citing unidentified sources, NBC News reported on Saturday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would seek to persuade U.S. President Donald Trump at an upcoming meeting that Iran’s expansion of its ballistic missile program poses a threat that could require swift action.
Iran’s defense capabilities, Baghaei stressed, were designed to deter potential aggressors and were in no way negotiable or subject to bargaining.
He added that the recent media focus on Iran’s missile program was part of the “hybrid warfare” waged against Iran by Israel, with the assistance of the United States and hostile media outlets.
On June 13, Israel launched major surprise airstrikes on multiple locations in Iran, including nuclear and military sites, killing senior commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians.
On June 22, U.S. forces bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities in Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan. (Namibia Daily News/Xinhua)
