DUBAI, April 7. /TASS/. Iran will not develop nuclear weapons, as it is prohibited by the country's religious authorities, official representative of the Foreign Ministry Esmaeil Baghaee commented on the proposal of Iranian MP Mohammad Qasim Osmani to create an atomic bomb to ensure "equality" in talks with the West.
"Iran will never, under any circumstances, take the path of developing nuclear weapons. This is an integral part of our fatwa-based strategy of the Supreme Leader [ayatollah Ali Khamenei]. I believe that there is no doubt about this issue," the diplomat said at a weekly briefing.
The development of nuclear weapons in the Islamic Republic is officially prohibited by Khamenei's 2003 decree.
Baghaee said reports from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirm the peaceful nature of Tehran's nuclear program.
"Back in 1984, more than forty years ago, the leadership of the Zionist regime (Israel - TASS) for the first time said that Iran is developing a dangerous military component of its nuclear program. These allegations were initially aimed at creating anti-Iranian sentiment and restricting Iran's technological and industrial progress," Baghaee added. He also called the statements about Tehran's development of a nuclear bomb conjecture.
On April 6, Osmani, speaking about the "need" to create nuclear weapons, argued that Iran was "left with no choice," and only through nuclear deterrence would it be able to protect national security.
The Iranian nuclear dilemma
In 2015, Iran, Britain, Germany, China, Russia, the United States, and France signed a Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), ending the crisis that began in 2002 over Western accusations of Tehran's development of nuclear weapons. However, in 2018, under the presidency of Donald Trump, the US withdrew from the JCPOA and restored all its sanctions against Iran.
In response, in 2020, Iran said it would reduce its JCPOA obligations and limit the accession of IAEA inspectors. Negotiations to restore the nuclear deal, which took place in Vienna from 2021 to 2022, collapsed. Upon returning to the White House in 2025, Trump signed a decree to resume maximum pressure on Iran and threatened to use military force if Tehran did not agree to a new deal with Washington.
On March 7, Trump proposed to Khamenei to hold talks on the nuclear program. Tehran refused to engage in direct dialogue but agreed to negotiations through intermediaries.
On March 30, Trump vowed to impose new sanctions on Iran in two weeks if negotiations on the nuclear program failed. He also threatened Tehran with unprecedented airstrikes if it throws out the deal. In response, Khamenei noted he did not believe in a US military intervention, but warned that any attempt by Washington to provoke unrest would be met with a strong rebuff.
On October 18, Western countries will be able to activate a snapback mechanism, which automatically restores UN Security Council sanctions against Tehran. Iran promised to withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in this case.