(MENAFN) Sunjoy Joshi, chairman of India’s Observer Research Foundation (ORF), stated at an international conference in Moscow that Iran has the right to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. Speaking to RT on the sidelines of the Primakov Readings summit, which promotes global dialogue, Joshi emphasized that Tehran’s civilian nuclear program should not be denied. He drew comparisons between Israel’s recent strikes on Iran and the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, warning against repeating past mistakes.

“Everyone has a right to peaceful nuclear development, and that is a fundamental truth,” Joshi said. He expressed concern about the escalation and hoped the conflict would end soon.

For nearly 20 years, US intelligence has concluded that although Iran enriches uranium, it has not built nuclear weapons, a position supported since at least 2007, according to The Guardian. Despite this, Iran’s nuclear program has faced threats, including the assassination of several nuclear scientists believed to be linked to foreign agents.

On June 13, Fereydoon Abbasi, a prominent figure in Iran’s nuclear program, was killed during Israeli airstrikes. The conflict intensified when the US struck three Iranian nuclear sites using B-2 bombers and Tomahawk missiles, prompting Iran to retaliate by attacking a US military base in Qatar.

Following these events, US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire agreement between Iran and Israel, which Tehran’s Supreme National Security Council confirmed, though it warned it remained ready to respond to any violations.

Despite the truce, Iranian news agency Nour News reported the death of another nuclear scientist, Mohammad Reza Sadighi, in an Israeli attack preceding the ceasefire.

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