Tehran May Be Forced to Seek Nuclear Weapons, Official Warns

Iranian Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi on Tuesday threatened that his country may pursue nuclear weapons if it feels “cornered” by the United States and its Western allies, offering a rare explicit comment on Tehran’s hostile nuclear plans. Iran repeatedly has denied accusations it is building the bomb, instead insisting its program was built for scientific and peaceful purposes only. “The Supreme Leader has explicitly said in his fatwa that nuclear weapons are against Sharia law and the Islamic Republic sees them as religiously forbidden and does not pursue them,” Alavi reiterated on Tuesday in a television interview, before adding: “But a cornered cat may behave differently from a free cat. And if they push Iran in that direction, then it’s no longer Iran’s fault.” While the US, the United Nations and European nations are in agreement over Tehran’s nefarious plans, Iranian officials have rarely admitted a nuclear weapon was in the works. US President Joe Biden has said Washington will reenter the abandoned 2015 nuclear deal only after Iran ceases enriching uranium and returns to full compliance with the pact, a demand Tehran has refused to accept.