Iran warns US about growing “missile power”

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said the country’s defense and missile capabilities have improved since the 12-day war in June, also sending a message to the United States that Tehran will not discuss its missile program or regional activities in any future negotiations between the two sides.

“The missile and regional issues have always been brought up, and our position has always been clear: if any talks are to take place, they will be limited solely to the nuclear issue,” Araghchi said on Wednesday, according to the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA).

Newsweek has contacted the U.S. State Department for comment.

Why It Matters

Araghchi pushed back against U.S. criticism of Iran’s missile program and its claims that Israel had secured a victory during the conflict, in which Israel struck missile and nuclear infrastructure, while U.S. forces targeted three key nuclear facilities.

President Donald Trump has described Iran as a weakened adversary, saying that U.S. and Israeli military action “obliterated” its nuclear capabilities.

However, Western intelligence says Iran appears to be accelerating the rebuild of its missile program, which U.S. officials have described as a destructive and destabilizing force in the region, despite U.N. sanctions banning arms sales and missile activity.

What To Know

Araghchi said Israel’s defenses could not stop Iranian missiles during the conflict and that Iran forced an “unconditional ceasefire” on its adversaries.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a large portion of Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal was destroyed during the first hours of the aerial attacks. Iran fired hundreds of ballistic missiles into Israel in response and attacked the Middle East’s largest American military base in Qatar.

U.S. and allied intelligence have flagged Iran’s arsenal as not just large, but also evolving in sophistication, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio describing the missile program in September as an “unacceptable risk.“

Since the end of September, Iran has reportedly received 2,000 tons of sodium perchlorate—a missile fuel precursor, enough for roughly 500 ballistic missiles—from China, Western intelligence sources told CNN last week.

Tehran says its defensive capabilities are non-negotiable and claims it does not seek nuclear weapons.

Iran’ Allies

Iran has turned to Russia and China for support in the aftermath of the June conflict and the increased sanctions that followed in the wake of failed negotiations over its nuclear program and as the 10-year Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action expired in October.

Araghchi praised China’s stance in declaring the U.N. “snapback” mechanism illegal during a Wednesday phone call with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. “The constructive cooperation” between Beijing, Tehran, and Moscow in countering U.S. and Western unilateralism at the United Nations was “of great importance,” according to Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency.

The snapback mechanism, invoked by the U.K., France, and Germany over alleged noncompliance with the nuclear deal, reinstated U.N. sanctions on Iran. The U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), continues to press Tehran to cooperate fully on monitoring and verification of its nuclear program.

Iran consulted with China and Russia on Wednesday ahead of an upcoming IAEA board of governors meeting in Vienna, Austria, that will focus on the issue of Iran.

What People Are Saying

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Wednesday, according to the Iranian Students News Agency: “The Islamic Republic’s approach was to rely on domestically produced military equipment, and the result was that those who initially demanded unconditional surrender ended up accepting an unconditional ceasefire on the 12th day…International relations are based on power. We must be strong, and the armed forces have gone above and beyond in this regard. Our missile power today is far greater than during the 12-day war.”

U.S. President Donald Trump told CBS’ 60 Minutes‘ Norah O’Donnell in an interview published Monday: “Iran wants to make a deal. They don’t say that, and they probably shouldn’t say—no good deal maker would. But Iran very much wants to make a deal.”

What Happens Next

With both sides entrenched in their positions, the prospect of imminent U.S.-Iran cooperation appears slim.