Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday (June 16) asserted that Iran will not seek nuclear weapons but will keep enriching its right to nuclear energy and scientific progress. He issued the statement amidst a fierce battle with Israel in which hundreds have died.
Although Iran defends its nuclear program as peaceful, Israel accuses Tehran of an existential danger and has promised to destroy Iranian nuclear facilities through continued assaults.
Pezeshkian Reaffirms Iran’s Nuclear Position
President Pezeshkian firmly stated that Iran does not intend to develop nuclear arms. Instead, he emphasized Iran’s sovereign right to nuclear energy and research. According to Reuters, he echoed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s religious edict, which bans weapons of mass destruction.
This pronouncement comes amid high tensions across the world and as nuclear activities continue to be under scrutiny. Iran seems to be making a distinction between peaceful advancement and military build-up.
Death Toll Increases on Both Sides
The conflict between Iran and Israel broke out on Friday, June 13, when Israel conducted massive airstrikes against Iran. Iran has since reported 224 civilian fatalities and more than 1,200 injuries by its health ministry. The spokesman for health said that 90 percent of the casualties were civilians, including women and children.
In Israel, 17 people are killed and 390 are injured. Israeli leaders do not give any indication of withdrawal despite the losses.
Israeli Strikes Kill Iranian Top Brass
Israel’s attacks have been aimed at top Iranian officials. The Revolutionary Guard confirmed the death of its intelligence chief, Mohammad Kazemi, and two other generals. Many other senior officials and nuclear scientists were killed in the strikes. These fatalities represent a severe blow to Iran’s military and scientific leadership.
Netanyahu Threatens to Continue the Offensive
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has come to the defense of the strikes. In an interview with Fox News, he stated that Israel will keep fighting Iran to eradicate two existential threats: nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. He explained that Israel has to do it for its own security and for the security of the world.
“We did take action, to save ourselves,” Netanyahu stated. “We can’t have the world’s most dangerous regime possess the world’s most dangerous weapons.”
As the fourth day of the war arrives, neither country is in the mood to back down. Iran remains adamant on its peaceful nuclear development right. Israel, meanwhile, vows to scrap what it perceives as an impending menace. As both sides refuse to budge, the region becomes increasingly unstable.
