Iran sharply excludes missiles from nuclear negotiations

Missiles “are part of our defense industries,” and “by no means negotiable at the Geneva talks with the P5+1 group,” said a prominent member of the Majlis Security and Foreign Committee Thursday. He was reacting to the assurance given by top US negotiator Wendy Sherman at a Senate hearing last week that Iran’s ballistic missile program would be addressed as part of a comprehensive nuclear deal. Iran’s leading negotiator Abbas Araqchi also said earlier that the negotiations would be confined to nuclear energy and no other issues will be discussed.