Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Tuesday that the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) did not mention Iran's ballistic missile program, stressing that the issue "was never on the table" and "never on the agenda" during the negotiations.
Speaking at a joint press conference with visiting Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Shehbaz said that Iran had never agreed to discuss the matter.
Pezeshkian arrived in Pakistan on Tuesday for a state visit to discuss the ongoing diplomatic efforts following the signing of the U.S.-Iran peace MoU.
The document, aimed at ending conflict on multiple fronts including Lebanon, was signed digitally by Pezeshkian and U.S. President Donald Trump on June 18.
Pezeshkian said the memorandum contained no reference to missiles and would not include them in the future. He said that Iran will never negotiate its defensive capabilities with anyone.
The president's remarks came after Iranian and U.S. delegations held high-level consultations on the implementation of the MoU in Switzerland on Sunday, mediated by Pakistan and Qatar. Technical talks followed on Monday.
Also on Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told a weekly press conference in Tehran that Iran's missile and defense capabilities "have never been part of the talks and will never be the subject of negotiations with any party."
About a week ago, Trump said he did not oppose Iran having ballistic missiles, though Israel strongly objected.
Trump added that it would be "unfair" for Iran not to have ballistic missiles if other countries have them.
Pakistan PM says Iran ballistic missile program not part of Islamabad MoU
