Zarif: There is no reason for further negotiations with the U.S.

Iran's Foreign Minister emphasized that the Islamic Republic's missile program is 'not negotiable' and stated that there is 'no reason' for further negotiations with the U.S. regarding the JCPOA. In a meeting in Doha on Saturday, December 15, Mohammad Javad Zarif reacted to U.S. officials' remarks about Iran's missile program, asserting that the Islamic Republic has always stated 'our missiles are not negotiable.' In response to U.S. accusations of 'violating' UN Security Council Resolution 2231, he stressed that the United States itself violated this resolution by withdrawing from the JCPOA and is 'not in a position' to discuss it. Zarif's comments came after reactions to Iran's new missile test, which was first reported by the U.S. Secretary of State and later confirmed by Iranian officials. Mike Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State, stated at a UN Security Council meeting on December 12 that Washington is working with 14 other council members to re-establish ballistic missile restrictions on Iran. However, Iran's Foreign Minister dismissed these statements as 'bluster.' The U.S. considers Iran's missile tests a 'violation' of Resolution 2231, which was issued after the 2015 nuclear deal, urging Iran to refrain from developing ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads. Nevertheless, Zarif stated that 'Resolution 2231 does not prohibit Iran from testing missiles, but only prohibits testing missiles designed to carry nuclear warheads,' while asserting that Iran's nuclear activities are peaceful according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. Despite concerns expressed at the Security Council meeting regarding Iran's latest missile test and worries from the U.S., France, and the UK, the commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force stated that Iran has 'no technical or contractual limitations' on increasing the range of its missiles to over 2,000 kilometers. Iran's medium-range missiles, with a range of 2,000 kilometers, can target Saudi Arabia and Israel and can reach the European Union region as well. Stopping Iran's missile program is one of the 12 conditions set by the U.S. for a new nuclear agreement with Iran, conditions that the Islamic Republic has previously rejected. Meanwhile, Zarif stated, 'There is no reason for further negotiations, especially when the results of a relatively long and difficult negotiation period in the past are up in the air, and the U.S. is actively trying to undermine those results.' Zarif emphasized, 'We will never negotiate with a country that has set 12 conditions for us. If there are conditions to be met, it is not us who must comply, but they (the Americans) who must adhere to certain conditions.' Iran is also accused of sending missiles and weapons to the Houthi rebel group in Yemen. However, Zarif stated that this group 'uses weapons purchased from Saudi Arabia during the rule of Ali Abdullah Saleh.' In August of this year, a UN panel reported to the Security Council that based on investigations of the wreckage of 10 missiles launched towards Saudi Arabia and drones used by the Houthi rebels, 'there are clear similarities between these weapons and those made in Iran.'