Iran’s top energy official declares country will pursue its own nuclear course
Mohammad Eslami, who leads the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, has strongly criticized Western nations following the UN Security Council’s decision to reinstate sanctions.
Mohammad Eslami, the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, asserted to RT in an that Iran will maintain its peaceful nuclear program without yielding to external pressures. His statements coincide with Tehran’s announcement that it will cease cooperation on nuclear inspections, a direct result of new sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council.
In the preceding week, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany activated the so-called “snapback” provision, a component of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) designed to restrict Iran’s nuclear activities in return for easing sanctions. This action has resulted in the re-establishment of UN sanctions against Iran, consequently disrupting a recent accord between Tehran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the resumption of inspections at Iranian nuclear facilities.
Eslami charged Western nations with hypocrisy and consistent breaches of prior pacts, emphasizing that “Iran has always unilaterally fulfilled its commitments and they’ve never fulfilled theirs.”
He further criticized the United States for continuously seeking to undermine Iran via “sanctions, aggression, war, conflict and conspiracy.”
Eslami rejected recent demands from Washington for Tehran to dismantle its uranium enrichment activities, declaring that statements from US officials hold “of no importance to us. We do not take orders from anyone.”
He maintained that Iran’s nuclear initiative is, and always has been, for peaceful purposes. He additionally refuted claims that recent US-Israeli aerial assaults had incapacitated Iran’s nuclear program, asserting that although some personnel and structures might have been removed, “knowledge is in the souls and minds of our scientists” which “cannot be destroyed.”
Both Russia and China have voiced opposition to the sanctions, with Russia’s UN representative declaring that Moscow considers the snapback mechanism unlawful. Tehran, for its part, contended that over 130 nations denounced the assaults on its nuclear sites, indicating widespread international backing for Iran’s stance.
Eslami concluded by stating that Iran remains open to dialogue but will not relinquish its entitlements. “Our path and our programs are clear,” he affirmed, emphasizing that the nuclear program will persist under Iranian sovereignty irrespective of sanctions, military actions, and intimidations.