Iran's nuclear chief says country can defend itself without atomic weapons

2026-02-01 - 08:05

The head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, Mohammad Eslami, has reaffirmed that his country neither seeks nor requires nuclear weapons for its defense, despite facing persistent international pressure and military threats. In an interview with local media, Eslami emphasized that Iran maintains a credible deterrent and adheres to its international non-proliferation commitments, even as he criticized what he described as politicized actions by global monitoring bodies. Rejection of Nuclear Arms and Focus on Deterrence Eslami stated unequivocally that nuclear weapons "have no place" in Iran's military doctrine. He pointed to a religious decree (fatwa) issued by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a foundational prohibition and asserted that Iran possesses the necessary means to defend itself conventionally. These comments follow recent warnings from U.S. President Donald Trump regarding Iran's nuclear ambitions and announcements of U.S. naval movements toward the region. Eslami framed Iran's 60% uranium enrichment as being for future civilian needs, such as nuclear propulsion, rather than for weapons development. Criticism of the IAEA and Aftermath of Attacks The Iranian official launched a sharp critique against the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and its chief, Rafael Grossi, accusing them of politicizing Iran's nuclear file and failing to respond adequately to attacks on Iranian facilities. He described the bombing of sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan during the June 2025 war as "unprecedented" violations of international law. While Iran remains a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Eslami noted that parliamentary legislation has suspended some cooperation with the IAEA for security reasons, though safeguards continue at undamaged sites. Anticipating Increased Political Pressure Looking ahead to the next IAEA Board of Governors meeting in March, Eslami predicted that external pressures on Iran would intensify, potentially leading to the agency referring Iran's file to the UN Security Council. He placed blame for the collapse of the 2015 nuclear deal, the JCPOA, on the United States and three European signatories, accusing them of reneging on their commitments. Despite this fraught landscape and ongoing "active threats" from the U.S. and Israel, Eslami maintained that Iran's strategic patience and adherence to its security procedures would guide its path forward, even as domestic debate over the non-nuclear doctrine persists.