Iran accuses West of breaking promises, rules out missile restrictions
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Ali Larijani stresses Iran’s commitment to dialogue but rejects US pressure to cut missile range.
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Iranian Secretary of Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani, speaks during a press conference after his meeting with the Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri, in Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, Aug 13, 2025 (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani said on Iranian television that Western states had previously assured Tehran they would not activate the snapback mechanism if an agreement was reached with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to reset relations.
"We did reach such an agreement with the Agency, but the European troika later changed its stance," Larijani said.
He explained that Russia proposed extending the deadline for the trigger mechanism by six months while talks continued, a proposal Tehran accepted. "However, this too did not materialize due to European rejection," he added.
According to Larijani, the European countries also suggested broader negotiations that would include dialogue with the United States. "We agreed in order to remove any pretexts, yet they went on to create new ones," he stated.
Larijani stressed that Washington is insisting on addressing Iran’s missile program in any new negotiations, a demand Tehran has "firmly rejected."
"We are seeking solutions to the problems, but no one in Iran will accept limiting the range of our missiles," he affirmed, adding that the US had spoken of reducing missile ranges to 500 or even 300 kilometers in order to "strip Tehran of its power."
"This will not happen, and we will stand against it," Larijani concluded.
Previous statements
Larijani, who also serves as senior political advisor to Sayyed Ali Khamenei, has dismissed as a "lie" claims that Iran refuses to negotiate, recalling that Tehran has held talks even while under military attack by "Israel" and the United States.
He had previously underscored that Iran had sought to resolve disputes surrounding the snapback mechanism through dialogue, but said the European side instead "demonstrated greed and erected obstacles." He revealed that Iran’s decision to sign its agreement with the IAEA in Egypt was driven by urgent security needs, particularly after its nuclear facilities came under military attack.
He reiterated that Iran’s missile policy directly counters what he described as the destabilizing actions of the Israeli entity, and emphasized Tehran’s continued openness to political, commercial, and security cooperation with regional states. Larijani stressed that while Iran remains committed to negotiation, other parties pay "lip service" to talks while pursuing contradictory agendas.
