Iraqi: Our Missiles Forced Global Powers to Negotiate with Iran

One day after the launch of ballistic missiles, which drew negative reactions from several countries and organizations, Abbas Araghchi, Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran, stated that the 'resistance of the people against sanctions' and these 'advanced missiles' produced by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) compelled global powers to negotiate with Iran regarding its nuclear activities. In a speech reported on Friday, March 11, by the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA), Mr. Araghchi said: 'The main capability is defensive capability. When global powers saw that they could not eliminate Iran's nuclear power through military attack and threats, they turned to negotiation, and this is due to the country's high military capability because of the efforts of the armed forces and the IRGC in producing advanced missiles.' This senior member of Iran's nuclear negotiation team added: 'We owe the resistance of the people against pressures and economic sanctions, as these sanctions could not bring the Iranian people to their knees, and the enemy also well understood that economic sanctions would not make the Iranian people surrender to them.' Mohammad Emami Kashani, the interim Friday prayer leader of Tehran, also acknowledged during the Friday prayers on March 11 that the Islamic Republic's missile tests have 'worried the world,' but stated that 'Iran does this for its own security and has no issues with any part of the world.' Mr. Emami Kashani added that Iran 'has shown that it is willing to negotiate and wants to resolve issues through negotiation.' Iran was able to reach an agreement regarding its nuclear program after nearly a decade of negotiations with global powers this year. According to this agreement, the Islamic Republic significantly reduced the scope and extent of its nuclear program, and in return, international sanctions against it were lifted or suspended. Several global powers involved in negotiations with Iran and observers emphasize that it was these unprecedented international sanctions that forced the Islamic Republic to compromise on its nuclear program. Meanwhile, the recent missile tests in Iran and the IRGC's announcement that the tested missiles were designed to target Israel have raised concerns in the international community. The United States has stated that it is examining the potential violation of the nuclear agreement due to these missile tests and will take action if proven. In this context, the Iranian Foreign Ministry stated that the missile tests do not violate the JCPOA. The senior representative of the U.S. Congress reacted to the IRGC's missile tests, and the UN Secretary-General called on Iran to refrain from escalating tensions in the region.