Larijani: Iran strongly against nuclear weapons production

Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said the Islamic Republic is strongly against the development of nuclear weapons, Press TV reported.

"We have repeatedly said that such weapons have no place in Iran's nuclear doctrine. Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has also issued a fatwa, forbidding the creation and stockpiling of weapons of mass destruction," Larijani told reporters at a press conference in the Pakistani capital Islamabad.

He described nuclear weapons as harmful to the peace and security of nations.

The high-ranking official said the reason behind the proliferation of such weapons is that arrogant powers, including the United States, keep producing new nuclear arms.

On February 22, 2012, Ayatollah Khamenei said the Islamic Republic considers the pursuit and possession of nuclear weapons "a grave sin" from every logical, religious and theoretical standpoint.

The Leader described the proliferation of nuclear weapons as "senseless, destructive and dangerous," adding that the Iranian nation has never sought and will never seek atomic bombs as the country already has the conventional capacity to challenge the nuclear-backed powers.

The US, Israel, and some of their allies suspect Iran of pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program.

Iran rejects the allegations, arguing that as a committed signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it has the right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.