Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif today ruled out any negotiations with the United States on their missile development, saying Iran has no intention of giving up on conventional weapons research for defensive purposes.
The US has initially conceded that previous Iran missile tests were not a violation of the P5+1 nuclear deal, inasmuch as they are not nuclear weapons, but officials have since started claiming they are a violation, suggesting any missile technology at all violates the UN Security Council resolution.
Secretary of State John Kerry had suggested an “arrangement” could be reached where Iran would agree to give up all ballistic missile testing, comments which riled US hawks hoping to parlay the latest “violation” in a new round of hostilities.
Iran, however, is insisting they did nothing wrong, and have no need for an “arrangement” with the US, since the US isn’t following through with its pledged sanction relief under the nuclear deal in the first place, and doesn’t have much international support to push this matter.