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Khamenei: We can build nuclear weapons; Islamic belief prevents us from doing so.

Updated: Jun 16, 2023

In a meeting with scientists, experts, and officials from Iran's nuclear industry, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei praised the industry'sIran's achievements and described it as a key to the country industry's progress in various sectors. He also visited an exhibition of nuclear industry achievements at Imam Khomeini Husseiniya in Tehran.


Khamenei reviews an advanced IR6 centrifuge and pays tribute to nuclear scientists and personnel killed in the line of duty.


Khamenei said that the nuclear industry is "a "source of pride" on a global scale in terms of progress and the development of capabilities," adding, "The nuclear industry revives the spirit of hope and national self-confidence in our society. "It shows people, especially the youth, that entering grand arenas and conquering them is possible." The Leader termed the nuclear industry as a fundamental component of Iran's power and credibility.


He emphasized that the West's claim about "the fear of nuclear weapons production in Iran" is a lie, adding that the US intelligence community has acknowledged several times, including in recent months, that there is no sign of Iran moving towards nuclear weapons production. Khamenei reiterated that the production of weapons of mass destruction (whether nuclear or chemical) is against Islamic beliefs and practice" saying, "If this Islamic belief did not exist and If we had wanted to build nuclear weapons, we would have done so. The enemies know that they could not have done anything "to stop us." "Kayhan," Khamenei's mouthpiece, followed up on the leader's speech and wrote: "This (remark) was a direct slap by Ayatollah Khamenei on the face of the US that it cannot do a damn thing (Slogan originally used by the former Supreme Leade Khomeini during the Iran hostage crisis), and its evil policy of economic terrorism is useless in the face of iron resolve."


Khamenei highlighted that the two-decade-long nuclear challenge with adversaries had underscored the importance of exercising caution and skepticism when dealing with the parties engaged in nuclear negotiations. The parties involved in the nuclear (negotiations) and the IAEA made many promises over the years that were not put into practice. This made us realize who we should trust and should not trust… Our nation must grasp the significance of this issue, as we have faced severe consequences due to our negligence in addressing it.

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The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), Mohammad Eslami, said that These (nuclear) achievements "were made under severe threats and sanctions from the enemies…Achieving complex nuclear technologies in such difficult conditions has been challenging, but our young scientists conducted them without using foreign capacities."


In a separate interview published on Saturday (June 10) In Tehran-based Ettelaat newspaper, Eslami said the purpose behind enriching uranium to the purity level of 60% was the removal of anti-Iran sanctions, adding that December 2020 parliamentary (Majlis) law -- named the Strategic Action Plan to Counter Sanctions – was also passed with the same purpose. According to the law of strategic action, when none of the JCPOA signatories fulfill their obligations, "it is natural that we do not meet them either,"


Eslami further pointed to claims that the nuclear program pursues military purposes and said the primary goal is to implement the parliamentary law to convince or oblige the opposite sides to “reduce the cruel economic sanctions against Iran."

In recent years, Iran has claimed that Khamenei issued a fatwa prohibiting the use of WMD - nuclear and chemical weapons. The Leader periodically reiterates the sacred prohibition [haram] of (using) weapons of mass destruction, both in public addresses and when addressing religious-law issues. At the same "time, the Leader emphasizes that Even if Iran had the intention to acquire nuclear weapons, it questions the authority of those who oppose it, asking, "Who are you, and what role do you play (referring to Israel and the West) that you could prevent us?"


The Iranian Leader reiterated that Iran considers using nuclear and chemical weapons a grave and unforgivable sin. According to Khamenei, Iran's motto remains "Nuclear energy for all, and nuclear weapons for none." Furthermore, the Leader affirmed that the military forces of the Islamic Republic abide by Islamic obligations. Iran"s commitment to abstaining from nuclear weapons is grounded in its adherence to Islamic worship, regulations, and laws.


Khamenei sent a letter to the International Organization for Disarmament held in 2011, in which he wrote in four languages (Persian, Arabic, English, and Spanish) that "We believe that alongside nuclear weapons, all kinds of weapons of mass destruction, such as chemical or biological weapons, pose a serious danger to the human race…. Iran has had the experience of this…. We see the use/deployment [كاربرد] of such weapons as haram and believe that everyone is obligated to invest all efforts in safeguarding the future of humanity against such a catastrophe." The United Nations officially recorded the message (a fatwa). The " letter (a fatwa) was formally delivered to and registered.




On the issue of prohibiting the use of nuclear weapons, Khamenei also referred to the conference of Iran's Assembly of Experts on February 22, 2021. He wrote:


"Our Islamic thought says that weapons whose use will cause the killing of innocent people and not military personnel are prohibited. Such weapons are prohibited, whether they are nuclear or chemical.AEOI'sSuch weapons are prohibited because this is the position of Islam, and because of the position of Islam, we have not sought nuclear weapons; otherwise, if we wanted to do so, who are you, what is your role [Israel and the West], that you could prevent us."

However, the fatwa does not necessarily ban the continued clandestine development and production of nuclear weapons for deterrence.

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