Iran's VP Denies Nuclear Weapons Pursuit, Calls For Rational Diplomacy

1/22/2025 3:09:30 PM

(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 22. Iran has never pursued nuclear weapons despite decades of accusations, said Javad Zarif, Iran's Vice-President for Strategic Affairs, Trend reports.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Javad Zarif stated, "To build a nuclear weapon, we could have done it a long time ago. But a program to build nuclear weapons is not going to be like our program. You build nuclear weapons in hidden laboratories that are not subject to international inspections."

He criticized the persistent portrayal of Iran as a nuclear threat, pointing to claims from the Israeli side, which has repeatedly asserted since the 1990s that Iran would develop a nuclear weapon within six months. "Now, 30 years later, we're still 'a couple of days away from nuclear weapons'. This is what we call securitization, not security," Zarif remarked. He argued that framing Iran as a threat is part of broader political agendas, including what he termed "Iranophobia" and its connection to the situation in Gaza.

Zarif also highlighted the consequences of the U.S. withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). "After the withdrawal, Iran gained much more nuclear capability based on American breakout calculations. We don't want a breakout, but today, even the Americans say we are a few days away," he said.

Calling for a shift in approach, Zarif appealed for rationality in addressing the issue. "There's always hope that people will choose rationality," he said, expressing hope for a more pragmatic future in global diplomacy.

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