Iran does not seek conflict with its neighbours and has no intention of developing nuclear weapons, President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a message marking Nowruz, according to state media.
“Our difficulties are the result of the interference of enemies,” Pezeshkian said. “Our dear neighbours who surround us, you are our brothers … we have come to resolve all these differences with you.”
He also proposed the creation of a regional security framework led by Islamic countries, stressing that “to establish peace and stability in the region, a regional security structure be formed from Islamic countries". “We do not need the presence of outsiders in the region,” he added.
Pezeshkian reiterated that Iran's leadership remains opposed to nuclear weapons, noting that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has declared such arms religiously forbidden. He added that no Iranian officials are permitted to pursue their development.
The stance echoes that of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had issued a fatwa in the early 2000s prohibiting weapons of mass destruction. He was killed in the early days of the ongoing US-Israel conflict with Iran.
Western nations, including the United States and Israel, have long accused Tehran of seeking nuclear weapons, an allegation Iran has consistently denied, maintaining that its nuclear programme is for civilian purposes. US President Donald Trump, however, reiterated Washington's position, saying the US would not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons because “if they had them, they'd use them.”
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