{"id":31777,"date":"2025-09-25T09:06:44","date_gmt":"2025-09-25T06:06:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/?p=31777"},"modified":"2025-09-25T13:50:31","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T10:50:31","slug":"iran-has-never-sought-and-will-never-seek-to-build-a-nuclear-bomb-iranian-president-tells-un","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/iran-has-never-sought-and-will-never-seek-to-build-a-nuclear-bomb-iranian-president-tells-un\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran has \u2018never sought and will never seek to build a nuclear bomb,\u2019 Iranian President tells UN"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>6 minute read<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told the United Nations General Assembly that his country will \u201cnever seek to build a nuclear bomb,\u201d pushing back against growing Western pressure as the deadline nears for possible reimposition of UN sanctions.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The remarks come amid a 30-day process launched by the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, collectively known as the E3, to restore UN sanctions against Iran over alleged noncompliance with the 2015 nuclear agreement. The deadline for triggering the so-called \u201csnapback\u201d sanctions is September 27.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The E3 accuse Tehran of breaching the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the deal that restricted Iran\u2019s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. The European governments have signaled they would delay reinstating sanctions for up to six months if Iran restores access for UN inspectors, addresses concerns about its enriched uranium stockpile, and engages in direct talks with the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAn agreement remains possible. Only a few hours are left. It\u2019s up to Iran to respond to the legitimate issues we have raised,\u201d French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X after meeting Pezeshkian in New York at the sidelines of UNGA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-media-max-width=\"800\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Iran has no intention to build nuclear weapons, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told the UN General Assembly, just days before international sanctions could be reimposed on his country over Tehran&#8217;s nuclear ambitions <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/9i5vvldg6z\">https:\/\/t.co\/9i5vvldg6z<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/gsU9Ts8Ufg\">pic.twitter.com\/gsU9Ts8Ufg<\/a><\/p>\u2014 Reuters (@Reuters) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Reuters\/status\/1970884682515419466?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 24, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n\n\n\n<br>\n\n\n\n<p>Iran maintains that its actions are justified by the U.S. withdrawal from the deal in 2018, when then-President Donald Trump reimposed sweeping sanctions on Tehran. Pezeshkian accused the Europeans of \u201cbad faith,\u201d saying their criticism disregarded the fact that Iran scaled back commitments only after Washington abandoned the pact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThey falsely presented themselves as parties of good standing to the agreement, and they disparaged Iran\u2019s sincere efforts as insufficient,\u201d he told the assembly. He further charged that the E3 acted \u201cat the behest of the United States of America,\u201d claiming they undermined their own legal obligations under the JCPOA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>Iran accuses US of \u2018grave betrayal of diplomacy\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pezeshkian accused the U.S. and Israel of committing a \u201cgrave betrayal of diplomacy\u201d by carrying out airstrikes on Iranian cities and its nuclear infrastructure, telling world leaders at the UNGA that the attacks violated international law and undermined peace efforts. He said attacks came \u201cprecisely at a time when we were treading the path of diplomatic negotiations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A few hours later, Tehran and Washington signalled a possible softening in tensions on Wednesday, with U.S. President Donald Trump&#8217;s Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff saying \u201cwe have no desire to hurt them\u201d. He added: &#8220;We&#8217;re talking to them. And why wouldn&#8217;t we? We talk to everybody. As well we should. That&#8217;s the job. Our job is to solve things.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>Khamenei rules out talks<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Iran\u2019s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei echoed Pezeshkian\u2019s position in a prerecorded speech on Tuesday. While stressing that Iran does not seek nuclear weapons, he rejected renewed negotiations with Washington. \u201cThis is not a negotiation. It is a diktat, an imposition,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If reinstated, UN sanctions would freeze Iranian assets abroad, block arms deals, and penalize development of Tehran\u2019s ballistic missile program.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Iran-Supreme-Leader-Ayatollah-Ali-Khamenei.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1016\" height=\"677\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Iran-Supreme-Leader-Ayatollah-Ali-Khamenei.jpg?resize=1016%2C677&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei\" class=\"wp-image-28526\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Iran-Supreme-Leader-Ayatollah-Ali-Khamenei.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Iran-Supreme-Leader-Ayatollah-Ali-Khamenei.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Iran-Supreme-Leader-Ayatollah-Ali-Khamenei.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Iran-Supreme-Leader-Ayatollah-Ali-Khamenei.jpg?resize=1536%2C1023&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Iran-Supreme-Leader-Ayatollah-Ali-Khamenei.jpg?resize=589%2C392&amp;ssl=1 589w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Iran-Supreme-Leader-Ayatollah-Ali-Khamenei.jpg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1016px) 100vw, 1016px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><sup>Iran&#8217;s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting with Iran&#8217;s president Masoud Pezeshkian and his cabinet in Tehran, Iran, on August 27, 2024. (Image Credit: Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader\/WANA)<\/sup><\/em><br><br><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><br><strong>Fallout from the 12-day war<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pezeshkian also used his speech to condemn the surprise Israeli and U.S. attacks that triggered a 12-day conflict earlier this year. More than 1,000 Iranians were killed in Israeli airstrikes, which targeted Iranian territory and were described by Israel as a preemptive strike on Tehran\u2019s nuclear facilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Several senior Iranian military figures were among the dead, and the strikes weakened the country\u2019s defenses. Tehran retaliated with missile attacks, marking one of the region\u2019s most intense confrontations in years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Iranian nation has time and again demonstrated that it shall never bow before aggressors,\u201d Pezeshkian said. He added that the war revealed \u201cthe fallacy and self-delusion of their arrogant calculations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Israel has repeatedly targeted neighboring states, including Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Qatar in recent years, but the offensive against Iran marked its largest operation in decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>Criticism of Israeli ambitions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pezeshkian also tied Israel\u2019s actions to broader regional dynamics, condemning what he described as the pursuit of a \u201cgreater Israel\u201d strategy aimed at territorial expansion and control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAfter nearly two years of genocide, mass starvation, the perpetuation of apartheid within the occupied territories and aggression against its neighbours, the ludicrous and delusional scheme of a \u2018greater Israel\u2019 is being proclaimed with brazenness by the highest echelons of that regime,\u201d he told the UN.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Israeli-strike-on-Tehran-Iran.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1016\" height=\"661\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Israeli-strike-on-Tehran-Iran.jpg?resize=1016%2C661&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Israeli attack on Iran\" class=\"wp-image-29715\" style=\"width:840px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Israeli-strike-on-Tehran-Iran.jpg?resize=1024%2C666&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Israeli-strike-on-Tehran-Iran.jpg?resize=300%2C195&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Israeli-strike-on-Tehran-Iran.jpg?resize=768%2C499&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Israeli-strike-on-Tehran-Iran.jpg?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1016px) 100vw, 1016px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><sup>Firefighters work at the scene of a damaged building in the aftermath of Israeli strikes, in Tehran, Iran, on June 13, 2025. (Image Credit: Majid Asgaripour\/WANA)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>According to him, Israel\u2019s recent strikes on regional states showed that it was abandoning efforts to secure its position through political normalization. \u201cIsrael and its sponsors no longer even content themselves with normalization through political means. Rather, they impose their presence through naked force, and have styled it peace through strength,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>Positioning Iran as a partner<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite the confrontational tone, Pezeshkian closed his address by presenting Iran as a cooperative partner to the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIran is a steadfast partner and a trustworthy companion for all peace-seeking countries of friendship and a partnership grounded not in fleeting expediency but in dignity, trust, and a shared future,\u201d he said. \u201cLet us, together with you, turn threats into opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>Iran nuclear deal<\/strong> <strong>background<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The 2015 JCPOA was seen as a breakthrough in global nonproliferation efforts. Iran agreed to limit uranium enrichment and allow international inspections in exchange for sanctions relief. Supporters credited it with preventing Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons, while critics argued it did not go far enough to restrict Iran\u2019s missile program and regional influence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The U.S. withdrawal in 2018 dealt the agreement a major blow. Since then, Iran has expanded its nuclear activities, enriching uranium well beyond the deal\u2019s limits. Negotiations to restore the accord under President Joe Biden stalled, with recent European efforts representing the latest attempt to salvage the framework.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the sanction\u2019s deadline looms, Pezeshkian\u2019s insistence that Iran does not seek nuclear arms underscores Tehran\u2019s desire to avoid deeper isolation, even as it refuses to yield to Western pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Iran-ballistic-missile-in-Tehran.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"690\" height=\"370\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Iran-ballistic-missile-in-Tehran.jpg?resize=690%2C370&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Iran's ballistic missile\" class=\"wp-image-29886\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Iran-ballistic-missile-in-Tehran.jpg?w=690&amp;ssl=1 690w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Iran-ballistic-missile-in-Tehran.jpg?resize=300%2C161&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 690px) 100vw, 690px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><sup>A banner depicting Iran&#8217;s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is placed next to a ballistic missile in Baharestan Square in Tehran on Sept. 26, 2024. (Image Credit: Hossein Beris\/Middle East Images\/AFP\/via X)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told the United Nations General Assembly that his country will \u201cnever seek to build a nuclear bomb,\u201d pushing back against growing Western pressure as the deadline nears for possible reimposition of UN sanctions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":31781,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[44,1],"tags":[24,64,53,30,26,376,356,108,7,61,17,625],"class_list":["post-31777","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-middle-east","category-news","tag-eu","tag-france","tag-germany","tag-iran","tag-israel","tag-jcpoa","tag-middle-east","tag-nuclear","tag-u-s","tag-uk","tag-un","tag-united-nations"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Pezeshkian-UNGA80.jpg?fit=690%2C370&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7jJWb-8gx","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31777","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31777"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31777\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31786,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31777\/revisions\/31786"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31781"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31777"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31777"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31777"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}