Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday asserted that Tehran does not intend to develop nuclear weapons but will pursue its right to nuclear energy and research after conflict with Israel entered fourth day.
He reaffirmed that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s religious decree, which prohibits the production and use of weapons of mass destruction.
In an address to the parliament, the president he said, “They are sitting and saying that Iran should not obtain nuclear weapons, while we have no intention of obtaining these weapons at all”, an apparent reference to Israel and western countries that have long accused Tehran of seeking nuclear weapons
Tehran has long maintained that its nuclear programme is for civilian purposes only.
US President Donald Trump abandoned a deal in 2018 that limited Iran’s uranium enrichment. The US and Iran have held five rounds of talks since April to try to find a path to a new accord. A sixth round of talks was scheduled for Sunday but did not take place because of the escalation between Israel and Iran.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that the country’s parliament is drafting a bill to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). He emphasised, however, that Tehran continues to oppose the development of weapons of mass destruction.
Iran-Israel Conflict
The Middle-East is bracing for a protracted conflict following Israel’s surprise bombardment of Iranian nuclear and military sites on Friday, which resulted in the deaths of several top generals and nuclear scientists. With neither side showing any signs of backing down, the situation remains volatile.
Iran launched a new wave of missile attacks on Israel early Monday, triggering air raid sirens across the country.
Emergency services reported that at least three people were killed, and dozens more were injured in the fourth day of open warfare between the regional foes.
