Iran denies nuclear weapons claims by Indonesian president

Iran's embassy in Indonesia has strongly denied that the country possesses nuclear weapons, asserting that its nuclear program is exclusively for peaceful purposes and operates transparently within the framework of international law.

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The Islamic Republic of Iran has never pursued the possession of nuclear weapons and will never do so.

The statement came in response to claims made by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, who stated during a speech that Iran already possessed nuclear weapons. The Iranian Embassy issued its denial through official social media channels, accompanied by an infographic detailing "The Islamic Republic of Iran's Nuclear Program."

According to the embassy, Iran's nuclear program is conducted under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and remains under the strict supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The embassy highlighted that Iran implements one of the world's most rigorous nuclear inspection regimes. Furthermore, Iran's policy aligns with a religious decree, or fatwa, from its Supreme Leader that prohibits the possession of nuclear weapons, with the embassy stating, "Weapons of mass destruction have no place in Iran's defense doctrine."

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Weapons of mass destruction have no place in Iran's defense doctrine.

President Prabowo's remarks about Iran's alleged nuclear arsenal were made in the context of discussing global conflicts and escalating tensions in the Middle East. He suggested that if Iran possessed nuclear weapons, other regional powers like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Egypt might also seek to develop them. Prabowo's speech, initially broadcast live, had the segment discussing Iran's nuclear program edited out of a subsequent reuploaded version.

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It's been said that Iran already has nuclear weapons. Now Saudi Arabia wants to have nuclear weapons too. If Saudi Arabia wants nuclear weapons, it's possible that the United Emirates also wants nuclear weapons, Qatar also wants nuclear weapons, Egypt also wants nuclear weapons.