CIA Director William Burns says no matter the result of the Vienna talks the Islamic Republic is a threat to the security of the Middle East.
Burns told the US House Intelligence Committee on Tuesday that regardless of the outcome of the nuclear negotiations the Iranian threat through its missile program and its proxies lingers throughout the Middle East.
“We are mindful of the fact that the Iranian regime poses not only a nuclear or missile issue but also a threat across the Middle East and to our partners in the Middle East”, he said, noting that for "many years, I negotiated these issues with the Iranians… Regardless of how negotiations go, those threats will continue."
On Saturday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard unveiled two underground bases for attack drones and missiles, as nuclear talks with world power have reached a critical stage.
Earlier in February, members of the US House of Representatives wrote a letter to ask President Joe Biden to focus on Iran’s ballistic-missile capabilities.
Pentagon says it is working hard to contribute to the self-defense needs of allies and partners in the region to counter threats posed by Iran’s missile program while Iran says it will become one of the world's biggest arms exporters once US sanctions are lifted.