“Not at all”: Pezeshkian denies Iran seeking nuclear bombs

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian denied that Tehran is seeking a nuclear weapon, telling Fox News in an exclusive interview that such arms are forbidden under a religious decree and offering to dilute highly enriched uranium while accepting international verification.

Speaking to host Bret Baier on “Special Report” on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Pezeshkian was asked point-blank: “Do you want a nuclear bomb or not?”

He replied emphatically: “Not at all. Not at all. Our martyred, esteemed supreme leader had announced several times that, from a religious decree, it is unholy. It is illegal.”

He referenced longstanding religious edicts against weapons of mass destruction issued by Iran’s late supreme leader.

Pezeshkian reiterated that Iran’s nuclear program is not aimed at producing a bomb and said Tehran is prepared to lower enrichment levels.

“So, that weapon’s mass destruction. We said we’re willing to dilute them. It’s not a big deal. We are willing to submit ourselves to verification,” he stated.

When pressed on why uranium enriched to 60 percent had been stored deep under a mountain, he repeated: “No. No. We said we’re willing to dilute them. It’s not a big deal. We are willing to submit ourselves to verification, sir.”

The Iranian leader blamed the United States for the nearly seven-month conflict in the Middle East, which began with US and ‘Israeli’ strikes in late February, and accused Washington of blocking diplomacy.

He pointed to a memorandum of understanding signed with President Donald Trump in June that was intended to halt hostilities and pave the way for a broader agreement but collapsed shortly afterward.

“We did reach an agreement with your president, that agreement was signed, and based on that, we are willing and still wish to move forward,” Pezeshkian said.

“The problem is that America, instead of conducting dialogue, they descend into the arena by bombing us first, by blocking every pathway. We are ready.”

Pezeshkian insisted Iran did not choose the war.

“We do not choose war. The war was imposed on us. We do not seek war,” he told Baier.

He added that it is up to the United States to decide whether to end the fighting, while affirming Tehran’s readiness to defend itself if attacked further and to pursue a deal within the framework of international law and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

The comments come amid continued international scrutiny of Iran’s enrichment activities, which Western governments have long viewed with suspicion because levels far exceed those needed for civilian power.