Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi indicated Wednesday that the country’s position against developing nuclear weapons will likely remain unchanged, though he noted the new supreme leader has yet to publicly state his views on nuclear policy.
In comments made to Al Jazeera and reported by Iranian media, Araqchi referenced the previous Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s religious ruling from the early 2000s that prohibited the development of weapons of mass destruction. Khamenei was killed during the recent U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran.
For years, Western nations including the United States and Israel have alleged that Tehran is pursuing nuclear weapons capabilities, while Iranian officials have consistently maintained their nuclear program serves only peaceful civilian purposes.
Araqchi explained that religious edicts are tied to the specific Islamic scholar who issues them, noting he cannot yet assess the religious or political positions of Mojtaba Khamenei, who now serves as Iran’s supreme leader.
