Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has boldly declared that without its defensive missiles, Iran would surely have suffered a devastating and pitiful fate similar to that of the Gaza Strip. He firmly emphasized that Iran's ballistic missile program is absolute and cannot be negotiated or bartered away with anyone, under any circumstances whatsoever.
According to a report by the AFP news agency, this heavy remarks were made during his official visit on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, to Pakistan—a key mediator in negotiations between Tehran and Washington aimed at finding a peace deal to end the war in the Middle East. The Iranian president added that without these missiles, superpowers like the United States and Israel would surely invade and brutally destroy Iranian territory, sparing neither the elderly nor young children.
Iran's ballistic missile system, which has been developed since the 1980s for national defense.
Simultaneously, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also came forward to confirm that the preliminary agreement between the US, Iran, and the mediating parties makes no mention of the ballistic missile issue. He stressed that the world should not practice double standards by allowing some countries to possess missiles while forbidding Iran from doing so, calling it entirely unfair.
Iran's ballistic missile system, which has been developed since the 1980s for national defense
Additional Context: Iran's missile system was initially developed to enhance air defense capabilities during its war with Iraq in the 1980s. Since then, these weapons have been continuously upgraded for longer range and higher precision.
In the past, the US has tried to force Iran to halt its missile program and stop supporting various armed groups. However, recently, US President Donald Trump appeared to hold a softer stance, hinting during a G7 meeting in France that it is somewhat unfair to forbid Iran from having missiles while other countries are permitted to possess them.
