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Iran president says missile program will never be included in US MoU

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Iran's president stated that its missile program will not be part of any Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the US and "will never be."
  • He asserted that regional peace can only be achieved through honest discussion and cooperation among nations.
  • The statement comes amid discussions about the release of $12 billion in frozen Iranian assets, with differing views on how the funds can be used.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian declared that Iran's missile program is not and will never be included in any Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United States. Speaking at a joint news conference with Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad, Pezeshkian emphasized that Iran will not negotiate its defense capabilities with any country.

was not in the MoU and never will be

— Masoud PezeshkianIranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's statement regarding the missile program and the MoU with the US.

He further stated that regional peace and stability can only be attained through sincere discussions and intraregional cooperation. This assertion follows recent talks in Switzerland aimed at turning an interim deal into a lasting peace agreement, which included the US waiving sanctions on Iran for 60 days, potentially releasing approximately $12 billion in frozen assets.

regional peace can only be achieved through honest discussion and cooperation

— Masoud PezeshkianPresident Pezeshkian's view on achieving regional stability.

However, differing interpretations of the asset release have emerged. US Vice President JD Vance suggested that the US and Qatar would oversee the funds and that they could be used for purchasing American commodities like corn, soy, and wheat. In contrast, Iran's ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Ali Bahreini, rejected Vance's claims, asserting that Iran alone decides how to use its unfrozen assets.

Iran will never negotiate its defense capabilities with any country and strongly believes that regional peace and stability can only be achieved through honest discussions and intraregional cooperation

— Masoud PezeshkianPresident Pezeshkian's firm stance on defense capabilities and regional cooperation.

Bahreini told reporters in Geneva that "Iran is the only country to decide what to do with its assets," and he dismissed any notion of other countries influencing these decisions. This disagreement highlights ongoing tensions and differing perspectives on the terms and implications of the financial arrangements between Iran and the US.

Iran is the only country to decide what to do with its assets, which are going to be defrozen, and so I reject any claim about that if there would be any role for any other country to have an influence on those decisions or on those processes

— Ali BahreiniAli Bahreini, Iran's ambassador to the UN in Geneva, rejecting claims about US or Qatari control over unfrozen assets.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Jerusalem Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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