Iranian Atomic Energy: We Are at War and Take Threats Seriously

SadaNews - As tensions rise between Tehran and Washington, the head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization, Mohammad Eslami, stated on Saturday that Iran is still in a state of war and takes threats seriously.

Eslami added, according to Iranian television: "We do not need nuclear weapons for deterrence, and we have sufficient capabilities to achieve this goal."

This comes as the United States has recently bolstered its military presence in the Middle East, particularly through the deployment of a naval strike group led by the aircraft carrier "USS Abraham Lincoln," following President Donald Trump's threat to carry out a military strike against Iran.

Trump has hinted at military intervention to support participants in the anti-government protests in Iran that erupted in late December, in response to a crackdown by the authorities that resulted in thousands of deaths.

However, he later expressed his "hope" to avoid military action against Iran while warning that time is running out to reach an agreement on its nuclear program.

On Friday, Trump announced that Iran wants to reach an agreement to avoid military action, adding that he has set an undisclosed deadline for Tehran to respond to his proposals.

In contrast, Iranian President Masoud Bezhaziyan confirmed on Friday that Iran welcomes dialogue and is not seeking war.

It is noteworthy that Iran has witnessed widespread protests since December 28, which began in Tehran's bazaar before spreading to various regions and transitioning from economic demands to political demands.

Meanwhile, Iranian authorities have accused Israel and America of interfering and attempting to destabilize the country. They also accused "terrorist elements" of infiltrating among the demonstrators and firing shots to increase the death toll.