[97330] Storm surrounding Pakistan Prime Minister's statement on flight negotiations with Iran

Diplomatic storm: Is Iran's missile program on the negotiating table?

On June 23, 2026, diplomatic tension arose following the statements of Pakistan's Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, which were reported by several media outlets. In publications identified with opposition elements such as Iran International and The Epoch Times Persian, Sharif was quoted as saying that within the framework of contacts between Tehran and Washington in the coming weeks, sensitive issues would be discussed, including the Iranian nuclear program, the lifting of sanctions, and the ballistic missile program.

The official response from Tehran was swift and unequivocal. Fars News Agency, which is close to the Revolutionary Guards, published a response from officials on the negotiating team denying the claims entirely. According to Fars Agency, the reports about including the missile issue on the agenda are "a complete mistake and likely stem from a lack of knowledge," emphasizing that this is a case of using negotiations for Pakistan's public relations purposes as a mediating party.

Later, it appeared that the Prime Minister of Pakistan retracted or clarified his remarks. In a conversation with the IRNA News Agency and other sources, Sharif claimed that "the issue of ballistic missiles was never discussed" and that they do not appear in the draft memorandum of understanding. Sharif added in an interview with DW Farsi that "double standards should not be accepted," and argued that Iran has the right to develop defense capabilities like any other sovereign nation.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, during his visit to Pakistan, reinforced the Iranian line. As reported by the President channel, he emphasized that "the missile issue is not in the memorandum of understanding and never will be," noting that the missiles are a critical deterrent for Tehran. At the same time, media outlets such as Al Arabiya Farsi continued to cover the confusion created by the contradictions in Sharif's reports, while weaker elements in the Iranian media claimed that this was an "attempt to undermine the peace process" by foreign elements.