‘Ballistic Missiles never on the table’: PM Shehbaz clarifies MoU terms amid confusion

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday clarified that the US-Iran memorandum of understanding does not include discussions on ballistic missiles, walking back an earlier statement that had suggested otherwise and sparked confusion among stakeholders.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday clarified that the US-Iran memorandum of understanding does not include discussions on ballistic missiles, walking back an earlier statement that had suggested otherwise and sparked confusion among stakeholders.

Speaking earlier in the National Assembly, the Prime Minister had stated: “There will be discussions on nuclear facilities, ballistic missiles, and frozen assets, and we hope that within 60 days the memorandum of understanding will lead to a long-lasting agreement that contributes to peace in the world.” The remarks prompted swift pushback from Iranian officials, with Iran’s Fars news agency reporting that Tehran’s negotiating team “emphasised that the issue of missiles is fundamentally not on the agenda of the negotiations.”

Addressing the Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during delegation-level talks later in the day, PM Shehbaz offered a definitive clarification. “I would say with fullest command at my domain that this MoU does not mention ballistic missiles, it was never on the table [and] agenda. The Iranian side never wanted to even discuss it, so that is not an impression, that is a matter of fact,” he stated.

The Prime Minister warned against misinterpretation, emphasizing that “there should be no second thoughts about it, it must not be misconstrued because there are spoilers all over the world to scuttle this peace deal. They don’t want the great Iranian nation to come out of the ashes of war and touch the zenith of glory.”

He reiterated his position firmly, stating: “I wanted to make it abundantly clear that ballistic missiles [were not on the agenda], and of course there cannot be double standards that some countries can have ballistic missiles and Iran shouldn’t have. This is simply, you cannot digest this kind of duplicity.”

When later asked by a member of the Iranian delegation, PM Shehbaz emphasized that his earlier parliamentary statement had been “very brief” and clarified that “ballistic missile was never a subject of discussion between Iran and the US. It was not on the table at all and it has no mention in the MoU if you read its terms and conditions.”

He added: “If Iran, our brotherly country, has ballistic missiles only for their defence purposes, there are many other countries around the globe who have such missiles in their stockpile so why object to Iran’s ballistic missiles? This would amount to a controversy that will generate unnecessary delays and doubts.”

The Prime Minister’s clarification aims to put to rest any speculation that missile restrictions were part of the agreement, reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to ensuring the success of the peace process without creating unnecessary obstacles.