Iran’s rejection of nuclear weapons based on religious beliefs, fatwa: Pezeshkian

President Masoud Pezeshkian has reiterated Iran’s opposition to nuclear weapons, saying the policy is rooted in “theological" beliefs and a religious decree issued by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei banning nuclear arms. 

"When the religious leader explicitly states that we will not pursue nuclear weapons, this is a position rooted in theological and jurisprudential beliefs, not a political tactic that can be changed,” Pezeshkian said while speaking during a visit to the northern province of Mazandaran on Thursday, highlighting the fatwa (religious decree) that had been issued by Ayatollah Khamenei forbidding nuclear arms.

“A politician may speak based on expediency, but a religious leader cannot speak against beliefs and a religious ruling.”

The remarks came on the same day that Iran and the United States are holding the third round of Oman-mediated nuclear negotiations in the Swiss city of Geneva.

The two sides held two rounds of indirect talks on February 6 and 17 amid escalating tensions caused by the US military threats against Iran and the build-up of American forces in the region.

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Speaking in his State of the Union speech to Congress on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump claimed that last year’s illegal Israeli-US aggression “completely and totally obliterated” Iran’s nuclear facilities, but alleged that Tehran is restarting its “sinister” nuclear ambitions.

Trump also spoke of recent foreign-backed riots in Iran, which he had openly supported, and claimed that at least 32,000 people had been killed. 

Pezeshkian said, “We have announced the death toll and even provided the national ID numbers of the people killed; anyone who says it's more than this, they should corroborate the claim with evidence.”

According to Iran’s Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs, a total of 3,117 people lost their lives during the riots, and 2,427 of those killed were innocent civilians and security personnel.

The Iranian president said that 300 to 400 of the martyrs were military personnel who were defending the country’s security.

The enemies sought “regime change” during the riots, he noted, saying those who set mosques on fire and martyred security forces are not considered protesters.

Meanwhile, Pezeshkian stressed that Iran has been a victim of terrorism over the past decades.

The enemies, he added, want to deprive the country of its human resources by eliminating capable and specialized people in a bid to insinuate that the authorities are ineffective in addressing problems.

"We recognize protests and consider ourselves obliged to serve our people … in the face of shortcomings and deficiencies. We are deeply saddened from the bottom of our hearts by what has happened to our beloved people,” he said.

“The Leader stated that we are grieving for the people, but a distinction must be made between a peaceful protest and a violent action.”

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