Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that Iran has no intention of developing nuclear weapons and expressed a willingness to accept international verification. He reiterated the desire to resume negotiations with the United States, drawing attention to the potential for diplomatic breakthroughs between the two nations.
While visiting the U.S. for the United Nations General Assembly, President Pezeshkian responded to a question during an interview on Fox News' 'Special Report' on September 24, saying, "Absolutely not," when asked if Iran wants to possess nuclear weapons.
He added, "Our revered Supreme Leader (Ali Khamenei) has repeatedly declared from a religious law perspective that it is blasphemous and illegal." He continued, "We are willing to dilute it (enriched uranium). It is not a big issue," and stated, "We are willing to accept verification."
This suggests that Iran may be open to lowering the enrichment level of uranium, a key issue in the allegations surrounding its nuclear weapons development, and accepting international verification. Iran has maintained that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, but it is known to possess uranium enriched up to 60%, a level that has become a central point in negotiations with the U.S. Given that uranium used for nuclear weapons is typically enriched to around 90%, this indicates that Iran is close to the threshold for developing nuclear weapons.
Additionally, President Pezeshkian criticized the U.S. for halting negotiations and opting for military operations. He claimed, "They (the U.S.) attacked us first," alleging that they killed respected leaders, scientists, military leaders, and government officials. He emphasized, "The issue is that the U.S. has entered a phase of conflict by bombing us first and blocking all avenues instead of engaging in dialogue."
In fact, the U.S. launched the 'Midnight Hammer Operation' against Iranian nuclear facilities in June of last year and the 'Grand Fury Operation' targeting Iranian leadership in February this year, both of which were initiated while negotiations were ongoing. Furthermore, the U.S. began airstrikes against Iran following attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz while preparing for ceasefire negotiations after the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in June.
Despite this, President Pezeshkian referenced the MOU signed with U.S. President Donald Trump in June, emphasizing the possibility of resuming negotiations. He stated, "We reached an agreement with the U.S. President; that agreement was signed, and we still want to advance negotiations based on it." The MOU established a framework for a ceasefire and future comprehensive agreements between the two countries.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced that he presented a 'seven-day plan' to the U.S. He explained to reporters in New York during the UN General Assembly that this plan, proposed through a mediating country, includes provisions to open the Strait of Hormuz within seven days, contingent on specific conditions, and to resume negotiations for a final agreement between the two nations.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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