News- Middle East: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has ruled out negotiations on the country’s missile capabilities, underlining that any possible future talks with the United States will merely be centered on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.

Araghchi made the remark after the Iranian administration's weekly cabinet meeting in the capital Tehran on Wednesday, in response to a question on Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Majid Takht-Ravanchi’s recent visit to Oman, which has long been mediating Iran-US nuclear talks.

“His trip was for periodic political talks, which I believe are held every six months in Iran and Oman,” Araghchi told reporters.

“The missile issue and regional issues have always been raised, and our position has always been clear. If negotiations were to take place, they would only be about the nuclear issue.”

Iran and the US held five rounds of Oman-mediated indirect negotiations in the Italian and Omani capitals over Iran’s nuclear program early this year before the Israeli regime derailed the diplomatic efforts by launching a war of aggression against the Islamic Republic in June. 

More than a week into the war, as the Israeli regime was facing serious setbacks, the United States joined the aggression and bombed Iran's nuclear facilities that were under the International Atomic Energy Agency's watch. 

The US attacks damaged Iran's nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan.

The US-Israeli act of aggression killed at least 1,064 people Iran, including military commanders, nuclear scientists, and civilians.

Araghchi's remarks come as the United States and its European allies have repeatedly insisted that any future deal must address not only Iran’s nuclear program but also its ballistic missile capabilities.

Tehran has consistently rejected such demands, saying that its military capabilities are not open to negotiation.

Source: Press TV