Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian declared on Thursday that while Tehran’s opponents may manage to target the nation’s nuclear sites, they cannot eliminate its ability to develop additional ones, according to a report from Reuters.
“They threaten us that they will hit nuclear facilities… If you (the enemy) strike a hundred of those we will build a thousand other ones… You can hit the buildings and the places but you cannot hit those who build it,” Pezeshkian stated, as reported by state media.
This statement came in response to a report in the Wall Street Journal, which referred to US intelligence findings suggesting that Israel is considering carrying out major attacks on Iranian nuclear installations this year.
US President Donald Trump has expressed in recent days that he prefers negotiating a deal with Iran over having Israel carry out strikes on the country’s nuclear facilities.
In 2018, during his first term, Trump pulled the US out of the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and several world powers, reinstating severe sanctions as part of his “maximum pressure” campaign against the Iranian regime.
As a result of these actions, Iran has taken several steps to reduce its adherence to the agreement.
To further its nuclear ambitions, Iran recently informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of its plan to “significantly increase” the enrichment of uranium to 60 percent.
Since taking office for his second term, Trump has reiterated his “maximum pressure” strategy, and just last week imposed financial sanctions on individuals and organizations accused of facilitating the transfer of Iranian crude oil worth hundreds of millions of dollars to China.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned the government last week against engaging in talks with the United States, labeling such an action as “reckless.”
In related news, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi clarified on Saturday that while Iran is open to negotiations with the US, it will not do so under Trump’s “maximum pressure” approach.
“The lifting of sanctions requires negotiations, but not within the framework of a ‘maximum pressure’ policy, because it would not be a negotiation but a form of surrender,” Araqchi stated in a message shared on Telegram.
{Matzav.com}