Iran’s nuclear agency chief, Mohammad Eslami, said on Saturday that nuclear weapons have “no place" in Iran’s military doctrine and that the country is fully capable of defending itself without them, according to the Anadolu news agency.
In an interview with a local media outlet, Eslami insisted that Iran does not need nuclear weapons and already possesses sufficient deterrence.
His comments came as US President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions to avoid military confrontation.
Iran has repeatedly accused the United Nations nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), of politicizing its nuclear program. Eslami again blamed IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi for what Tehran claims was his role in facilitating Israel’s attack on Iranian nuclear facilities in June of last year.
Eslami noted that negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program have taken place for many years, involving multiple Iranian governments and resulting in the 2015 Iran deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. He said the United States and the three European parties, the United Kingdom, Germany and France, failed to uphold the agreement and ultimately ended it when the snapback mechanism was activated late last year.
He described the bombings of Iran’s nuclear facilities during the 12-day war in June 2025 as “unprecedented," stressing that attacks on nuclear sites are prohibited under international law and the UN Charter. All bombed facilities, he said, are registered with the IAEA and remain under its “strict supervision."
Iran remains a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and complies with safeguards, Eslami said, although cooperation with the IAEA has been suspended by the Iranian parliament “for the security of nuclear facilities and personnel." He accused the IAEA of failing to take any action following the attacks.
Eslami called on the IAEA to “act professionally and independently according to its statute" and to clarify what measures would be taken if nuclear sites are attacked.
Looking ahead to the IAEA Board of Governors meeting in March, he predicted increased pressure on Iran, including the possibility that the agency may refer Iran’s file to the UN Security Council.
He said Iran’s production of uranium enriched to 60 percent serves “future national needs," including nuclear propulsion, since previous enrichment levels did not meet those requirements.
Grossi warned this week that the ongoing standoff with Iran over its stock of highly enriched uranium and blocked inspections at bombed nuclear sites “cannot go on forever."
Speaking to Reuters at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Grossi said the IAEA has inspected all 13 declared Iranian nuclear facilities that were not struck in the US and Israeli attacks, but has been unable to access the three key sites hit in June - Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan.
Before inspections can resume, Iran must submit a detailed report on what happened at those sites and account for an estimated 440.9 kg of uranium enriched up to 60% purity - material that, if further enriched, would be enough for roughly 10 nuclear bombs according to IAEA metrics. Tehran has not submitted the required report.
An agreement announced in September between Iran and the IAEA, intended to resume inspections and uranium accounting, has since been declared void by Tehran after Britain, France, and Germany triggered the return of UN sanctions previously lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal.