President Raisi again insists that nuclear weapons are not part of Iran's policies

(27 Apr 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY: NO USE BY BBC PERSIAN, VOA PERSIAN, MANOTO TV, IRAN INTERNATIONAL
++The Associated Press is adhering to Iranian law that stipulates all media are banned from providing BBC Persian, VOA Persian, Manoto TV and Iran International any coverage from Iran, and under this law if any media violate this ban the Iranian authorities can immediately shut down that organisation in Tehran.++
ASSOCIATED PRESS - NO USE BY BBC PERSIAN, VOA PERSIAN, MANOTO TV, IRAN INTERNATIONAL
Tehran, Iran - 27 April 2024
1. Ebrahim Raisi, Iranian President, arriving at conference hall
2. Audience standing as Iran's national anthem is played
3. Wide of conference
4. SOUNDBITE (Farsi) Ebrahim Raisi, Iranian President:
"Acquiring nuclear weapons does not exist in our doctrine at all. It's prohibited, not because of the international bans or the IAEA, no, the leader of Muslims and the wise leader of the revolution (Ayatollah Ali Khamenei) as our religious reference has issued a fatwa (religious decree) that this is prohibited, and on that basis this will not be in our doctrine."
5. Wide of Raisi speaking
6. SOUNDBITE (Farsi) Ebrahim Raisi, Iranian President:
"But the use of this (nuclear) technology in agriculture, industry, in oil and petrochemical and many other industries has been and will definitely be on our agenda."
7. Audience clapping
8. Wide of Raisi speaking
STORYLINE:
Iran's president reiterated Saturday that nuclear weapons are not part of his country's policy - days after an Iranian commander threatened a "shift" in nuclear policy if Israel attacks Iran's nuclear sites.
"Acquiring nuclear weapon does not exist in our doctrine at all," said Ebrahim Raisi.
He made the comments during the opening ceremony of an exhibition for Iran's exports.
On April 19, an apparent Israeli strike was carried out at a major air base and nuclear site in central Iran.
A day before the attack, a revolutionary guard commander in charge of Iran's nuclear facilities security had threatened the country was likely to reconsider its nuclear doctrine and policy if its nuclear sites were threatened by Israel.
Raisi said Iran's decision not to pursue nuclear weapons was mainly due to a religious decree by the supreme leader, rather than international bans.
AP Video by Saeed Sarmadi
===========================================================
Clients are reminded to adhere to all listed restrictions and to check the terms of their licence agreements. For further assistance, please contact the AP Archive on: Tel [phone] Email: [e-mail].
Find out more about AP Archive: www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter: / ap_archive
Facebook: / aparchives ​​
Instagram: / apnews
You can license this story through AP Archive: www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...