Iran's President Denies Nuclear Weapons Ambitions, Offers to Dilute Uranium

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian flatly denied that Tehran is pursuing a nuclear weapon and said his government is prepared to dilute its enriched uranium and submit its nuclear program to international verification, in an exclusive interview Thursday that placed responsibility for the Middle East war squarely on Washington.

Asked directly whether Iran wants a nuclear bomb, Pezeshkian rejected the premise. He said the country's late supreme leader had repeatedly declared that weapons of mass destruction are forbidden by religious decree and therefore illegal. His public denial came amid sustained international scrutiny of Iran's nuclear program, which has enriched uranium to levels well beyond those typical for civilian power generation — the central rationale President Donald Trump cited when he launched Operation Epic Fury in February.

Pezeshkian indicated Tehran would be open to lowering its enrichment levels and allowing outside verification as part of an effort to ease nuclear tensions. He said Iran is willing to dilute the material and submit itself to inspection, describing the step as unremarkable. He also pointed to a memorandum of understanding he signed with Trump in June that was intended to halt hostilities and establish a framework for a broader U.S.-Iran agreement, including a 60-day process toward a final deal.

According to Pezeshkian, that agreement was signed and Iran remains willing to move forward on it. He said the framework had been agreed and that Iran had not closed the Strait of Hormuz, which he described as having been open without legal justification for closure. He then accused Washington of abandoning diplomacy, saying America attacked Iran first, killed its supreme leader, scientists, military commanders and government officials, and blocked every pathway to a settlement.

The Iranian president said Tehran is ready to reach an agreement but rejected what he described as pressure and blockades. He said outside inspectors could have free access to see whatever Iran has, but not as a means of placing the country under such pressure or denying it access. He also placed broader blame on Washington for the war, saying Iran does not seek to kill Americans while asserting that America has sought to kill Iranians, and that Iran must defend itself if attacked.

Addressing U.S. military strikes, including Operation Outcast, and increasing secondary sanctions, Pezeshkian said Iran would continue resisting Washington's campaign. He acknowledged that Iran has economic problems but said the country will endure hardship in order to remain. He added that continued sanctions make little difference to Tehran and that Iran does not consider American elections relevant to its position, saying that if the current U.S. government wishes to reach an agreement within international legal frameworks, Iran is fine with that.

Pezeshkian repeated that Iran does not want the war to continue, while blaming Israel for helping provoke the conflict and putting responsibility on Washington to bring it to an end. He said Iran never sought war and does not seek war, and that he deeply believes humans should not cause the death of another human. He said Israeli instigations imposed the war on Iran, and that it is America that must choose whether it wants to end the conflict.

The Iranian president also addressed reports that Iranian forces used Chinese satellite imagery to carry out a deadly strike on a U.S. base in Jordan, an attack that killed three U.S. service members. Questioned about the reports, Pezeshkian said he was specifically unaware of the purported images. He added that what militaries do with one another between two countries is their own business within their own guidelines.

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Hailey Griffin

Staff Reporter

Hailey Griffin covers public affairs, politics, business, culture and daily news for Cronkite. The role focuses on verification, context, and clear explanations for readers.

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