The Trump administration has suggested that Iran might be permitted to maintain a limited missile capability in a potential future agreement, marking a significant departure from its previous stance of demanding the complete dismantling of Iran’s missile program. This indication comes as US Vice President JD Vance is set to engage in discussions with Iranian officials to build upon a Memorandum of Understanding following months of tensions in the Gulf region.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright, speaking on ABC’s “This Week,” implied that the total elimination of Iran’s missile arsenal was no longer the primary goal of the administration. In response to questions regarding President Donald Trump’s recent statements allowing Iran to possess missiles in proportion to neighboring countries, Wright stated, “Need it go to zero? No, it probably doesn’t need to go to zero, is what the president’s saying.”
While Trump had previously vowed to “destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground,” he now appears to have revised this stance towards a more lenient approach. Suggesting a shift in policy, Trump mentioned that if countries like Saudi Arabia and Qatar possess ballistic missiles, Iran could also retain such weapons in relative proportion under a potential future settlement.
According to Wright, the administration has already made significant progress in achieving its military objectives, claiming to have reduced Iran’s missile-making capacity by around 90 percent. He described this as a substantial degradation of Iran’s missile industry, emphasizing that Iran had long maintained military capabilities surpassing those of its regional counterparts.
