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Iran said connected Thursday (June 18, 2026) that its rocket programme would not beryllium portion of aboriginal negotiations with the United States, aft the 2 sides agreed a model woody for ending their war.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a memorandum of knowing aboriginal Thursday (June 18, 2026), ending a determination warfare that erupted connected February 28 with U.S.-Israeli strikes.
The statement lays the groundwork for elaborate negotiations connected Iran's atomic programme and sanctions alleviation for Tehran.
There is nary notation successful the woody of Iran's rocket programme, a longstanding interest for Washington and its state Israel.
"Our missiles bash not similar astatine each to beryllium talked astir by anyone," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said successful an interrogation with Iranian authorities television.
"Iranian missiles are lone for firing, not for negotiations. Iran's defence capableness volition not beryllium discussed successful immoderate way, successful immoderate process oregon with immoderate party," helium added.
During the astir 40-day war, Iran's rocket infrastructure came nether dense U.S.-Israeli bombardment, but Tehran continued to respond with rocket and drone attacks crossed the region.
Before the war, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had warned that Iran would request to negociate implicit its ballistic rocket arsenal, which Washington views arsenic a menace to Israel and U.S. subject bases successful the region.
Iran has repeatedly refused to sermon what it describes arsenic its antiaircraft capabilities.
On Wednesday (June 18, 2026), Trump appeared to soften his position, saying it would beryllium "unfair" for Iran not to person missiles.
"I'm saying that if different countries person them, it's a small spot unfair for them not to person some," Trump said. "A ballistic rocket is not the aforesaid happening arsenic what we are talking astir erstwhile we speech nuclear."
