US Urges Inclusion Of Iranian Missiles In Discussions

US Urges Inclusion Of Iranian Missiles In Discussions

The United States is pushing for the inclusion of Iranian missiles in discussions for a permanent nuclear agreement with Iran. The missiles are viewed as potential nuclear threats by the US and its allies, which makes them a subject for discussions on a permanent nuclear agreement.

However, the missiles are considered by Iran as part of its defense system and should not be included in the discussions. The issue on the inclusion of the ballistic missile capabilities of Iran has highlighted the division between the Iranians and Americans.

Two Iranian missiles were successfully test-fired by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps last week, according to state media. The domestically-manufactured ballistic missiles have a range of at least 1,500 kilometers, which is capable of reaching Israel and US military targets within the Middle East.

The tests caught US official off-guard since they believed President Hasan Rouhani of Iran is aiming to reduce tensions prior to the talks in Vienna. The tests were praised by the Iranian president, which was earlier criticized by hardliners within Iran for opposing earlier missile tests.

Even as Iranian officials are not going to focus on its missile program, US officials have urged the inclusion of the ballistic missile capabilities of Iran in the final agreement.

The discussions will involve Iran, the five permanent UN Security Council members, and Germany. Initial meetings will concentrate on setting a framework that will be used on the negotiations that may last up to six months.

US diplomats have indicated that the discussions should meet the US Security resolutions aimed at dealing with the nuclear program of Iran. The International Atomic Energy Agency revealed that secret research was supposedly conducted by Iran to attach a nuclear weapon on the Shahab-3 missile.

However, Iran indicated that its nuclear program is mainly for peaceful purposes. The US Congress is also compelling the White House to utilize international negotiations in holding back the Iranian missile program.

Posted by James Fried on Sunday February 23 2014, 3:50 AM EST. Ref: WSJ. Link. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, World. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0