BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 4. Iran fully advocates and will continue to secure its peaceful nuclear program, adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Shamkhani told local media, Trend reports.
He claims that Iran's nuclear program is an open book, and the nation is toeing the line with its international commitments.
“Iran has never sought and will never seek to possess nuclear weapons. However, it defends its legitimate rights in all political and technical aspects,” he noted.
Shamkhani made it clear that Iran is standing its ground against those who oppose its nuclear program, aiming to safeguard its interests and hoping they'll play ball by respecting Iran's legitimate rights.
The official added that Iran intends to utilize nuclear technology in energy, agriculture, medicine, pharmaceuticals, water management, and other fields.
To recall, in January 2016, Iran and the P5+1 group (the US, Russia, China, the UK, France, and Germany) implemented the Comprehensive Joint Plan of Action concerning Iran’s nuclear program.
In May 2018, the US announced its withdrawal from the deal and reimposed sanctions on Iran.
By the end of 2020, the Iranian parliament decided to pursue a strategic plan in the nuclear sector to counter the sanctions, leading to a suspension of additional steps and the Additional Protocol as per the nuclear agreement.
Consequently, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) faced a reduction in monitoring capabilities by 20–30 percent.
Iran has officially affirmed that its strategy is not to pursue the development of an atomic bomb and that it does not support the production of weapons of mass destruction.