The US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki has stated that the ballistic missile capabilities were in order to deliver nuclear warheads and were thus a part of ongoing negotiations between Iran and six world powers over Tehran’s nuclear program. “That issue has been discussed and will continue to be discussed as part of the negotiations,” Psaki said.
However, Iran begs to differ. In response to the statements by the US State Department spokesperson, Abbas Araghchi, a member of the negotiating team in the nuclear talks has said that the regime’s defense capabilities were not subject to any negotiations.
This is not the first misunderstanding between Iran and the United States. In February 2014, US negotiator Wendy Sherman told a Senate hearing that Iran’s missile program would be addressed in a comprehensive deal. But Araghchi denied her claim, saying that Iran’s defense-related issues were a “red line.”
The Iranian regime claims the satellite “Fajr” was sent into space by the Iranian-produced satellite carrier Safir. However, information about the successful launch of the satellite “Fajr” has not been confirmed by the US Space Surveillance system.
Some US analysts suggest that Iran “should be regarded by national security decision makers as a nuclear missile state capable of posing an existential threat to the United States and its allies”.
