‘No One Can Cause Even the Slightest Damage to Our Missiles’: Iran Talks Tough on Ballistic Missile Program Amid Negotiations With Trump Admin

President Trump has said that a good deal with the Islamic Republic would mean ‘no nuclear weapons, no missiles’

Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said Wednesday that “no one can cause even the slightest damage” to the Islamic Republic’s ballistic missiles, flatly rejecting President Donald Trump’s call for “no nuclear weapons, no missiles” as part of a deal between Iran and the United States.

“No one can cause even the slightest damage to our missiles,” Araghchi said to the Iranian press. “Our missiles are not subject of negotiation, and they will not be.”

Tehran’s missile program has been a point of contention since negotiations began. The United States has pushed for the talks to include the missiles, while Iranian officials say those capabilities are off the table. A senior adviser to Ayatollah Khamenei, Ali Shamkhani, reiterated Wednesday that Iran’s missile capabilities are a red line, and would not be discussed with the United States.

Trump has continued to mount pressure on Iran. On Tuesday, he told Axios that he was considering sending a second aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East to prepare for military action if negotiations fail. Last month, the USS Abraham Lincoln arrived in the region, and Trump warned of an “armada” moving toward Iran. Negotiators from the United States and Iran met last Friday in Oman, and the second round of talks is expected to take place next week.

“Either we will make a deal or we will have to do something very tough like last time,” Trump told Axios. “We have an armada that is heading there and another one might be going.” Trump said that it was a “no brainer” for the negotiations to focus on Tehran’s nuclear program, and added that the talks should also include the country’s missile capabilities. He told Fox Business that a good deal with Iran would mean “no nuclear weapons, no missiles.”

Iran’s missile program remains a top national security concern for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is meeting with Trump in Washington on Wednesday. He is expected to ask Trump to limit the program as well as Iran’s regional proxies. “I will present to the president our views regarding the principles of the negotiations—the important principles—and, in my view, they are important not only for Israel, but for anyone in the world who wants peace and security in the Middle East,” Netanyahu said.

Before the first round of talks, Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed doubt over Iran’s willingness to negotiate. “If the Iranians want to meet, we’re ready,” Rubio said. “They’ve expressed an interest in meeting and talking.”

“If they change their mind, we’re fine with that too,” he added. “We prefer to meet and talk. I’m not sure you can reach a deal with these guys, but we’re going to try to find out.”