Pezeshkian Affirms Iran's Commitment Against Nuclear Weapons

Synopsis

On February 6, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian declared that Iran has never aimed to develop nuclear weapons, reaffirming the country's commitment against such pursuits during the 46th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. His statements come amidst renewed tensions with the U.S. and ongoing efforts related to the nuclear agreement.

Key Takeaways

Iran does not seek nuclear weapons
Masoud Pezeshkian's remarks during a significant anniversary
Supreme Leader's fatwa against nuclear arms
U.S. reinstates maximum pressure campaign
Ongoing efforts to revive JCPOA

Tehran, Feb 6 (NationPress) Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian emphasized on Thursday that his nation has never pursued the development of nuclear weapons.

This declaration was made during a ceremony in Tehran commemorating the 46th anniversary of the victory of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, as reported by his office.

The event was attended by foreign ambassadors and representatives from international organizations in Iran's capital.

Pezeshkian stated, "We do not seek (to develop) nuclear weapons. Iran's (Supreme) Leader (Ali Khamenei) has explicitly declared this by issuing a fatwa (religious decree)."

He added that confirming Iran's lack of intent to develop nuclear weapons is quite straightforward, mentioning, "They (inspectors) have come and investigated whenever they desired, and they can come and check again a hundred times. We will never pursue the development of nuclear weapons."

These statements were made in light of US President Donald Trump's recent executive order to reinstate the "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran, aimed at preventing the nation from acquiring nuclear capabilities.

On Wednesday night, Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi expressed via social media platform X that "the so-called maximum pressure is a failed experience," cautioning that repeating this strategy would only lead to "maximum resistance" from Iran, as reported by Xinhua news agency.

In July 2015, Iran entered a nuclear agreement known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with world powers, agreeing to limit its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

However, the United States withdrew from this agreement in May 2018 and reinstated sanctions, which led Iran to reduce some of its nuclear commitments.

Efforts to revive the JCPOA began in April 2021 in Vienna, Austria. Despite numerous rounds of negotiations, no significant progress has been reported since the last discussions in August 2022.