Iran could seek nuclear weapon if cornered, threatens intelligence minister
The rare statement from Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi comes as the US administration vows to lift sanctions only if Iran resumes full compliance with the nuclear deal.
Iran's intelligence minister suggested on Tuesday that Iran would consider developing a nuclear weapon if crippling economic sanctions on his country aren’t lifted.
Such a statement is unusual for a senior Iranian official. The country’s leaders maintain that their nuclear program is used only for peaceful civilian purposes and often cite Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s apparent religious ruling banning the production of nuclear weapons.
“The Islamic Republic sees them as religiously forbidden and does not pursue them,” Intelligence Minister Seyyed Mahmoud Alavi said in an interview. “But a cornered cat may behave differently from when the cat is free. And if they push Iran in that direction, then it’s no longer Iran’s fault.”
The landmark nuclear deal struck between Iran and world powers in 2015, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), sought to extend the time it would take Tehran to amass enough enriched uranium to develop a nuclear weapon.
