Calling Nuclear Weapons Talk a Lie, Khamenei: We Know Who to Trust and Not

JAKARTA - The West cannot stop Iran from building nuclear weapons, if Tehran wants to pursue a nuclear weapons program, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Sunday.

"The talk of Tehran's nuclear weapons is a lie and they (the West) know it. We don't want nuclear weapons based on our religious beliefs. Otherwise, they won't be able to stop it," Khamenei said, citing Reuters on state media, June 12.

Khamenei made the remarks during a meeting with a group of nuclear experts and officials in Tehran on Sunday.

He said the enemies had created a nuclear challenge for Iran for 20 years, knowing that the progress of the nuclear industry was the key to Iran's scientific progress.

In his opinion, the nuclear industry is important in terms of the country's progress and capabilities in the technical, economic, health, and other fields, because it gives prestige to the country and makes a better life for the people.

"The nuclear industry is important for this reason and also in terms of the country's global and international political weight," he was quoted as saying by IRNA.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei explained that those who oppose Iran's nuclear activities are dishonest when it comes to keeping promises. He said governments negotiating with Iran or the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had made various promises over the years.

"But they failed to live up to their commitments. We have known for the past 20 years who can be trusted and who can't," he said.

He underlined that Iran should seek to use its nuclear know-how to improve various aspects of people's lives, adding that nuclear technology could benefit many industries, including healthcare, agriculture, environment, and desalination.

He also said the Iranian authorities should make efforts to commercialize nuclear services and products, so that the Iranian economy benefits from the sale of nuclear products and services on the international market.