Iran reaffirms commitment to non-nuclear stance, rejects calls for atomic bomb

The Iranian Foreign Ministry has once again reiterated the country's firm commitment to not pursuing nuclear weapons, despite a recent proposal by an Iranian MP to develop an atomic bomb to ensure "equality" in negotiations with the West.

During a weekly press briefing, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei categorically rejected the idea, affirming that Iran will never engage in the development of nuclear weapons, Caliber.Az reports citing Russian media.

His remarks were in response to the comments made by Mohammad Qasim Osmani, a member of the Iranian parliament, who suggested that an atomic bomb could serve as a bargaining tool in talks with Western powers.  

"Iran will never and under no circumstances go down the path of building nuclear weapons," Baghai said. "This is an integral part of our strategy, based on the fatwa (religious decree) of the Supreme Leader." He emphasized that the country’s commitment to non-proliferation was unwavering and that there could be no doubt on this issue.

The development of nuclear weapons has been officially banned in Iran since 2003, following a decree issued by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The fatwa declared the pursuit, production, and use of nuclear weapons as forbidden under Islamic law.

Later, on March 30, Trump warned that the US would impose additional tariffs on Iran within two weeks if the nuclear talks failed to progress. He also threatened Iran with “unprecedented bombing” should it reject the proposed deal.

Responding to the threats, Khamenei dismissed the possibility of a US military strike but cautioned that any attempt to destabilise the country would be met with a strong and decisive response.

On April 5, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that Tehran seeks equal dialogue with other nations and will not tolerate any threatening tactics in negotiations, particularly from Washington. He also urged the Iranian people to unite, emphasizing that their solidarity could compel the nation’s adversaries to reconsider the consequences of their hostile actions against the country.

This statement came in response to reports from April 2, in which US President Donald Trump allegedly threatened Iran with "extinction by September" unless it agreed to the nuclear deal and curtailed its nuclear program. Trump had previously warned Tehran that failure to reach an agreement could result in military action against the Islamic Republic. On the same day, it was revealed that both the United States and Israel were preparing a potential military operation against Iran, aimed at neutralizing what they described as the nuclear threat posed by the country.

By Vafa Guliyeva