Iran’s ballistic missile programme is not covered by the recently signed memorandum of understanding with the United States and will never be subject to negotiation, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated during an official visit to Islamabad on Tuesday. The assertion, made at a joint press conference with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, was corroborated by Sharif, who confirmed that the 14-point document contains no mention of Iranian ballistic missiles. The published text of the MoU, read out by a senior US administration official last week, bears this out: the only weapons-related provision is an Iranian commitment not to “procure or develop nuclear weapons.”

Viewed from Tehran, the missile arsenal is an indispensable component of national defence. Pezeshkian argued that without it, “Israel and the United States would have devastated Iran in the same way Gaza has been devastated,” a line carried by Iranian state media and multiple regional outlets. Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif reinforced this position, rejecting what he termed double standards under which some states may possess ballistic missiles while Iran is barred. Islamabad, which alongside Qatar mediated the US-Iran talks, framed the exclusion of missiles as consistent with the MoU’s scope and warned that unnamed parties were seeking to sabotage the agreement by circulating false claims about missile restrictions.

In Washington, the omission marks a shift in the Trump administration’s posture. Prior to the conflict, US officials had cited curbing Iran’s missile programme as a principal justification for military pressure. During last week’s G7 summit in France, however, President Donald Trump stated that “missiles aren’t the problem” and suggested it would be unfair to deny Iran capabilities others possess. The MoU instead focuses on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, easing selected financial restrictions on Iran, and establishing a framework for technical discussions on Tehran’s nuclear programme within 60 days. The International Maritime Organization has reported that the accord enabled the evacuation of more than 11,000 stranded seafarers from the Persian Gulf, and shipping traffic through the strait remained stable on Tuesday.

Iran’s missile programme originated during the 1980s Iran-Iraq war to offset air-defence weaknesses and has since grown in range and accuracy. Israel, located roughly 1,500 kilometres from Iranian territory, has long regarded the arsenal as an existential threat, a concern that persists despite the MoU’s silence on the matter. The agreement separates the nuclear file from the missile question, leaving the latter unaddressed for now. With technical nuclear talks expected to begin under the 60-day timeline, the missile dossier remains outside the formal diplomatic framework, though its strategic salience is unlikely to diminish.