Pezeshkian: Talk of ending Iran’s nuclear program is a mere “illusion”

The president made the remarks in an exclusive interview with Qatar’s Al Jazeera TV network, which was aired Wednesday.

It was the first TV interview of President Pezeshkian since Israel waged its war of aggression on Iran on June 13, which came to an end after a ceasefire took effect 12 days later. The United States entered the war two days before it was halted, bombing three sites used for uranium enrichment.

The U.S. and Israel claimed that their attacks aimed to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. That is an allegation Iranian officials have strongly dismissed, asserting that the Islamic Republic has never sought and will never seek nuclear weapons due to religious values and its defense doctrine that rejects such weapons.

“[U.S. President Donald] Trump says that Iran should not have a nuclear weapon and we accept this because we reject nuclear weapons and this is our political, religious, humanitarian and strategic position,” Al Jazeera quoted President Pezeshkian.

We emphasize the continuation of Iran’s nuclear program and uranium enrichment within the framework of international law, he added.

He also rejected Trump’s claims that Iran’s nuclear program has ended because of the U.S. airstrikes on the three facilities of Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz.

Trump’s claim “that our nuclear program is over is just an illusion,” he said, adding that Iran’s nuclear capabilities are in the minds of its scientists and not in the facilities.

Israel attacked Iran while Tehran was engaged in negotiations with Washington to reach a new deal on its nuclear program. The U.S. has meanwhile announced its readiness to resume talks with Iran, while threatening to launch airstrikes again should Iran continue its nuclear program.  

Pezeshkian said that Iran believes in diplomacy, therefore “any future negotiations must be according to a win-win logic, and we will not accept threats and dictates.”

Also in his interview, the president said that Iran is ready for any war Israel might wage against it, with the Armed Forces being fully prepared to strike deep inside the Israeli-occupied territories.

The president note that Iran does not seek war and does not assume that the ceasefire with Israel is permanent. However, he added, Iran will defend its territory with full strength and will never surrender.

Pezeshkian said Iran delivered serious blows to Israel during the 12-day war in June, stressing that the Tel Aviv regime conceals the extent of damage it suffered.

Pezeshkian said the Israeli regime prevents any narrative about Iran’s successful missile strikes, but its call for the ceasefire reveals many truths. He added that Israel attempted to weaken and destabilize the Islamic Republic through chaos and targeted attacks but ultimately failed.

He further highlighted the unprecedented support Iran received from regional countries during the 12-day Israeli aggression, expressing the Islamic Republic’s readiness to cooperate with Arab neighbors and other regional countries to define a joint collective security framework.

The president also referred to Iran’s missile strike on Al-Udeid base in Qatar, saying that the Islamic Republic did not target Qatar or its people, but struck a U.S. base in response to American airstrikes on the Iranian nuclear sites.