TEHRAN - A top Iranian security official has said Tehran won’t negotiate over its ballistic missile program as a deterrence capability. 

“Defensive deterrence is non-negotiable,” Ali Larijani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, told Al Jazeera Arabic aired on Sunday.

Israel is pressing the U.S. to include Iran’s missile program in the nuclear talks, which were revived in early February.

These negotiations should just focus on Tehran’s nuclear program and nothing else, Larijani insisted.

“Our missile program stands entirely separate from the nuclear one. It is a domestic matter, basically linked to our national security. As such, it cannot be part of these negotiations,” he said.

The top security official further said Tehran regards the negotiations with Washington as positive, provided that they are fair and reasonable and do not serve as a tool for buying time or raising issues outside the nuclear framework.

The first round of the Iran-U.S. talks was held in Muscat, Oman, on February 6. The next round of talks is scheduled for Tuesday, February 17, in Geneva, Switzerland.

Iran and the United States have restarted nuclear talks after an eight-month hiatus. The talks were ceased after Israel launched an unexpected and unprovoked war on Iran in June 2025.

 “Iran follows talks and deterrence simultaneously”

The talks are taking place amid heightened tension between Iran and the United States as President Donald Trump has amassed military forces in the region. 

Larijani also said Iran pursues negotiations as it keeps deterrence in place in the face of a possible act of aggression against the Islamic Republic.

"Iran is not seeking war, but will not surrender in the face of threats, and it relies on a combination of negotiations and deterrence," Larijani said.

Larijani, a former chief nuclear negotiator, said his country is ready to address concerns about Tehran’s nuclear program.

"What Mr. Trump announced was that Iran should not move towards [obtaining] nuclear weapons. They (the West) should address our concerns. We also completely agree on not moving towards [obtaining such] weapons, so there is a common and reasonable issue that can be the subject of discussion between the two sides."

The top security official emphasized that Iran accepts the International Atomic Energy Agency’s monitoring of its nuclear sites but only as per the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

“Zero-enrichment is unrealistic”

He also dismissed as “unrealistic” zero-enrichment by Iran, saying the country has legitimate medical and research needs and that nuclear knowledge cannot be eliminated by political decisions. “It is impractical for a country that has already mastered this technology to reduce it to zero.”

On the possibility of a large-scale war, he said, experience has shown that escalating tensions have not benefited the initiators.

He, however, emphasized that Iran is prepared for all scenarios but does not seek to fuel the conflict.

Trump has escalated his rhetoric in recent months and repeatedly threatened military action against Iran. U.S. officials said on Friday the Pentagon was sending an additional aircraft carrier to the Middle East, adding thousands more troops along with fighter aircraft, guided-missile destroyers and other firepower capable of waging attacks and defending against them.

The SNSC secretary added that the positions of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt in opposing military action against Iran showed their understanding of its dangers to the entire region.

On Iran’s cooperation with China and Russia, he said that such cooperation is based on shared interests, saying their support for Tehran at the UN Security Council reflects a political partnership.

Iran’s pivot to the East has been a result of the West’s failure to fulfill its promises, he pointed out.

Larijani urges Washington to negotiate independently of Israeli influence

Larijani also urged the U.S. to assess its interests independently of Israeli influence in negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program.

He stressed that the negotiation process should not be prolonged. The security official also said Israel is seeking to interfere in the negotiations and destabilize the region.

“Our negotiations are exclusively with the United States. We are not engaged in any talks with Israel,” he said. “However, Israel has inserted itself into this process, with their intent on undermining and sabotaging these negotiations.”

Larijani also reiterated that regional countries support a political solution to Iran's nuclear issue.

During his visit to Muscat on February 10, Larijani held talks with senior Omani officials, including Sultan Haitham bin Tariq and Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi. Discussions mainly focused on the latest regional and international developments. Larijani also held similar talks with Qatari officials in Doha on February 11.