Mohammad Sio
23 July 2025•Update: 23 July 2025
ISTANBUL
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has said that US and Israeli efforts to terminate Tehran’s nuclear program are futile, calling the idea of ending it “an illusion” and vowing to continue uranium enrichment within the framework of international law, according to the semi-official news agency Tasnim on Wednesday.
“These efforts are based on illusion,” Pezeshkian said in an interview with Qatar’s Al Jazeera on Tuesday, referencing assertions made by US officials, including President Donald Trump, that Iran’s nuclear infrastructure had been neutralized. “Nuclear capability resides in the minds of our scientists, not in our facilities.”
The president reaffirmed Iran’s longstanding position that it does not seek nuclear weapons, citing political, religious, and strategic commitments.
“We categorically reject possessing nuclear weapons,” he said. “This is our political, religious, human, and strategic position.”
Pezeshkian said Tehran remains open to diplomatic engagement but insisted any negotiations must acknowledge Iran’s right to enrich uranium for civilian use. “Any future negotiations must be based on a win-win logic,” he said.
He also issued a stark warning to Israel, saying Iran is ready to respond forcefully to any future attacks.
“We are fully prepared for any Israeli military action, and our forces stand ready to strike deep into the occupied territories once again,” he said.
Talks between Iran and the US were being held through Omani mediators until Israel’s surprise attack on Iran on June 13, which triggered a 12-day war, targeting military, nuclear, and civilian sites as well as senior military commanders and nuclear scientists.
Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes on Israeli military and intelligence facilities.
Iran accused the US of complicity in the attack, which killed top Iranian military officials, nuclear scientists, and civilians. The US also launched strikes on three major Iranian nuclear sites, claiming to have obliterated them.
A US-brokered ceasefire between the two countries was announced on June 23.
A new round of nuclear negotiations between Iran and three European countries, known as the E3 -- the UK, France, and Germany -- is set for Friday in Istanbul.
