Iran's President-elect: Tehran's Ballistic Missile Program 'Nonnegotiable'

Iran’s new hard-line President-elect, Ebrahim Raisi, said Monday he would not negotiate over limiting Tehran’s ballistic missile program or its support for regional militia proxy forces.

In addition, Raisi told reporters in Tehran that he would not meet with U.S. President Joe Biden as the United States attempts to rejoin the 2015 international pact to restrain Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. The prior Trump administration said the nuclear deal was not tough enough and withdrew the U.S. from the agreement three years ago, while also renewing crippling economic sanctions against Iran. At his first news conference following his victory in last week’s presidential election, Raisi called himself a "defender of human rights" when he was asked about his involvement in the 1988 mass execution of about 5,000 people.