Tehran announced on Monday it was not holding talks with France over its ballistic missile program.
“There has been no talks, whether secret or not secret, about our missile program with France or any other country,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi told a weekly news conference, broadcast live on state TV.
He made his remarks after Paris said last week it was ready to impose more sanctions if European attempts to address the program in discussions with Tehran made no progress.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Friday France was ready to impose further curbs if no progress was made in talks over the program, described by Tehran as purely defensive but seen in the West as a destabilizing factor in a volatile region.
“Our missile program is a defensive program that we only discuss it inside the country. I cannot confirm holding any secret talks with France over our missile program,” Qasemi said, when asked about Le Drian’s remarks.
“We talk about regional and political issues with France ... but our missile capability is not negotiable ... we have repeatedly said that during our political talks with France.”
A UN Security Council resolution, which enshrined Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with major powers in 2015, “called upon” Tehran to refrain for up to eight years from work on ballistic missiles designed to deliver nuclear weapons.
Iran says its missile tests are not in violation of the resolution and denies its missiles are capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
