Iranian President Ebrahim Pezehshkian said that Iran's missile program is not part of the U.S.–Iran memorandum of understanding and will not be included later [1, 2].
The statement underscores a critical point of contention in diplomatic relations, as the exclusion of ballistic missiles from agreements remains a primary source of friction between Tehran and Washington.
Speaking June 23, 2026, during a joint press conference in Pakistan with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Pezehshkian said the scope of the current diplomatic framework is limited [1, 2]. The president said that the missile plan is not in the memorandum and will not be included in the future [1].
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif supported this position, noting that ballistic missiles have not been on the agenda [1]. Sharif said that a double standard where some countries possess such weapons while Iran is told it should not is unacceptable [1].
This stance aligns with previous commentary from former U.S. President Donald Trump, who suggested that it is unfair for Iran to be the only nation unable to possess ballistic missiles [1].
Despite these public assertions, some reports suggest a different trajectory for the diplomatic documents. While the president maintains a firm line on the exclusion of the missile program, other accounts indicate that Iran may be planning to amend the memorandum [2]. This suggests that while the current agreement excludes the program, future modifications to the document could potentially address the issue [2].
The press conference in Pakistan served as a platform for Iran to counter accusations of double standards regarding the possession of advanced weaponry, a move intended to solidify its strategic posture on the global stage [1, 2].
“The missile plan is not in the memorandum and will not be included in the future.”
The insistence by the Iranian presidency that missile programs remain outside the scope of U.S. agreements indicates that Tehran views its ballistic capabilities as a non-negotiable element of its national security. By framing the issue as a 'double standard' during a diplomatic visit to Pakistan, Iran is attempting to build regional consensus against Western proliferation controls, even as internal reports suggest the memorandum may eventually be amended.
