BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 1. If the U.S. takes the wrong step regarding Iran's nuclear program, Iran could take a step toward producing atomic weapons., Ali Larijani, an advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, a member of the Expediency Discernment Council, told reporters, Trend reports.
According to him, in some cases, absurd statements are made about Iran's nuclear program. Iran's nuclear program has been accepted by the International Atomic Energy Agency. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) has also been reached in this direction, and Iran has announced its readiness to implement an additional protocol under the supervision of the IAEA. Iran has imposed some restrictions on its nuclear program. In return, other countries had to take several steps. However, US President Donald Trump withdrew from the agreement in 2018, which has led to the deterioration of many issues.
Larijani noted that Iran claims to have the capability for a nuclear program, but under the Supreme Leader's instructions, it does not seek to develop atomic weapons.
"The US makes a strategic mistake and forces Iran to move towards building a nuclear weapon, Iran will do this to defend itself, because Iranian citizens are also pressuring that this work (building a nuclear weapon) should be carried out for the security of the country, which is not in the interest of the US.
Iran is currently stating that it has no intention of acquiring a nuclear weapon and continues its activities under the supervision of the IAEA. However, if Iran is bombed in any way, then it will be forced to make a decision that is not in their interest," he noted.
On March 3, Rafael Grossi, Director-General of the IAEA, mentioned during the IAEA Board of Governors' meeting that Iran has increased its stockpile of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity by 93 kilograms, from 182 kilograms to 275 kilograms, compared to the previous quarter. Iran remains the only non-nuclear weapon state to enrich uranium to this level, raising significant concerns.
On March 30, US President Donald Trump said that Iran would face unprecedented bombing if Tehran did not agree to a deal on its nuclear program.
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.
Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel