{"id":32853,"date":"2019-07-17T20:47:19","date_gmt":"2019-07-17T20:47:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/07\/17\/irans-top-diplomat-says-his-country-must-build-missiles-for-defense\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T06:55:58","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T06:55:58","slug":"irans-top-diplomat-says-his-country-must-build-missiles-for-defense","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/flashpoints\/2019\/07\/17\/irans-top-diplomat-says-his-country-must-build-missiles-for-defense\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran\u2019s top diplomat says his country must build missiles for defense"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

TEHRAN, Iran \u2014 Iran\u2019s foreign minister said Wednesday that his country has no choice but to manufacture missiles for defense purposes \u2014 comments that come after a remark by the top diplomat that seemed to suggest the missiles could be up for negotiations<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mohammad Javad Zarif said in an interview with NBC News that aired earlier this week that if the U.S. wants to talk about Iran’s missiles, it needs “first to stop selling all these weapons, including missiles, to our region.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iran has long rejected negotiations over its ballistic missile program, which remains under the control of the Iranian paramilitary Revolutionary Guard that answers only to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The foreign minister’s remarks seemed to suggest a possible opening for talks as tensions remain high between Tehran and Washington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the Iranian mission to the United Nations promptly called Zarif\u2019s suggestion purely \u201chypothetical\u201d and said the Iranian missiles were \u201cabsolutely and under no condition negotiable with anyone or any country, period.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t