Bezhakian states: We will rebuild nuclear facilities with greater strength

SadaNews - Iranian President Masoud Bezhakian announced today, Sunday, that his country will rebuild its nuclear facilities "with greater strength," asserting that Iran "does not seek to possess nuclear weapons."

Bezhakian stated during his visit to the headquarters of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization in Tehran that "the knowledge is present in the minds of our scientists."

He emphasized that "the destruction of buildings and facilities will not constitute a problem for the reconstruction process."

He added that "expanding the nuclear industry aims to serve our people and improve national welfare, not to produce weapons."

He noted that the development of the Iranian nuclear program "will continue within peaceful and legal frameworks."

Bezhakian's statements come a day after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed Tehran's readiness "to negotiate to dispel concerns about its peaceful nuclear program."

Araghchi stressed that Iran "will not stop uranium enrichment and will not negotiate over its missile program."

In a television interview yesterday, Saturday, Araghchi explained that Tehran "is prepared for any aggressive behavior from Israel."

He said that Iran is open to "fair and equitable negotiations that guarantee the interests of all parties," considering that the United States "has set unreasonable, unacceptable conditions."

He hinted that his country prefers "not to enter into direct negotiations with Washington," but does "not mind reaching an agreement through indirect channels."

The Iranian minister pointed out that "nuclear materials remain under the rubble of the targeted facilities."

He stated that Iran "has suffered significant losses in terms of location and equipment, but the technology still exists," referring to the American-Israeli strikes last June.

Araghchi also rejected the activation by France, Britain, and Germany of the "snapback" mechanism to reimpose UN sanctions on Tehran, describing the step as "illegal and lacking international consensus," emphasizing that "European countries have lost legitimacy in activating the mechanism after failing to meet their commitments under the nuclear agreement."

These developments come after Tehran announced last October the end of the validity of UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which had restricted its nuclear program for ten years, considering that it is no longer bound by the restrictions imposed under the agreement reached in 2015 between Iran and major powers.

Israel, the United States, and several European countries accuse Tehran of seeking to produce nuclear weapons, while Iran insists that its program "is designed for purely peaceful purposes, including electricity generation and scientific research."