ALBAWABA- Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), declared on Tuesday that the country’s national security is “not a matter open to negotiation,” rejecting Western demands to restrict Iran’s missile program and accusing Europe of repeatedly reneging on commitments.
Speaking at a meeting with Iran’s Chamber of Commerce, Larijani said proposals to limit the range of Iranian missiles to less than 500 kilometers amounted to “abandoning defensive capabilities against Israel.”
He praised the private sector for sustaining production during the recent 12-day war and welcomed a mechanism to link business leaders with the SNSC, stressing that civil institutions must play a role in shaping foreign policy.
On the stalled nuclear talks, Larijani revealed that France had conveyed, via the IAEA chief, a pledge to withdraw its snapback sanctions request if Iran reached a new arrangement with the Agency.
“We finalized such an arrangement and our foreign minister signed it in Cairo, but they did not honor their word,” he said, adding that Europe and Russia later offered six-month negotiation windows but also failed to follow through.
“The Americans demanded we reduce missile ranges to under 500 kilometers, something no person of dignity could ever accept,” Larijani said. He accused the West of abusing agreements and breaking commitments first, recalling the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA and subsequent European non-compliance.
While emphasizing Iran’s readiness for “reasonable and fair proposals with guarantees,” he insisted that Tehran would not compromise on its defense capabilities.
Larijani underscored that Iran’s regional strategy runs counter to Israel’s “destabilizing policies” and reaffirmed Tehran’s commitment to expanding cooperation with neighboring states.
His remarks came just hours before U.S. President Donald Trump’s address at the UN General Assembly, in which Trump boasted that U.S. airstrikes in June had “completely obliterated” Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities under Operation Midnight Hammer, casting the action as a decisive victory in halting Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
