WANA (Jun 23) – Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said during a meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif that Iran’s ballistic missile program has never been and will never be part of any negotiations, adding that despite Tehran’s distrust of the United States, the country remains open to dialogue and peace.

 

Leading a high-level delegation to Pakistan, Pezeshkian met with Sharif to discuss key bilateral issues, regional developments, economic cooperation, and ongoing international affairs.

 

Referring to the recent war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran, the Iranian president described the attacks as a violation of all international norms and said that, in addition to military commanders and officials, many civilians, including 168 children, lost their lives.

 

Pezeshkian said Iran’s adversaries had believed the country would collapse within a few days, but their attempts to cripple the nation by targeting infrastructure and civilians failed due to the resilience of the Iranian people.

 

Emphasizing Iran’s determination to preserve its sources of national strength, he said: “No negotiations have taken place, and none will take place, regarding ballistic missiles. We do not trust the United States because we were attacked twice while engaged in negotiations. Nevertheless, we have always been, and remain, ready for dialogue and peace.”

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Social media / WANA News Agency

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Social media / WANA News Agency

The president also stressed that Iran remains committed to its obligations under the recent agreement and will continue to honor its commitments as long as the other side respects the agreed framework and fulfills its own obligations.

 

Pezeshkian further underscored the importance of unity among Muslim nations and called for closer ties with Islamic countries, particularly Pakistan, saying relations between Tehran and Islamabad should be strengthened further in practical terms.

 

For his part, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed the Iranian delegation’s visit to Islamabad and described the recent Pakistan-mediated agreement as an important opportunity for peace. He also stressed that the signed memorandum of understanding contains no reference to Iran’s ballistic missiles and that no discussions on the issue were ever intended.

 

Sharif also called for expanding economic cooperation and increasing annual trade between Iran and Pakistan to $30 billion.