At a meeting with Iranian nuclear scientists on Feb. 22, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made the following remarks about Iran’s nuclear program, international pressure and sanctions.
“The Iranian nation has never been after nuclear weapons and it will never go after such weapons. The Iranian nation will prove to the world that nuclear weapons do not bring about power. The people can shatter the kind of power that is based on nuclear weapons by relying on their talents and their human and natural capacities.”
“Undoubtedly, the organizations in charge of decision-making in the countries that are opposed to us are fully aware that Iran is not after nuclear weapons. This is because from an intellectual, ideological and fiqhi perspective, the Islamic Republic of Iran considers the possession of nuclear weapons as a big sin and it believes that stockpiling such weapons is futile, harmful and dangerous.”
“Although the nuclear advances by our young scientists have different dimensions, the most important dimension is that they have created a sense of national dignity and self-esteem among the Iranian people.”
“Contrary to the propaganda campaigns which say that the Iranian and youth are incapable, every big scientific advance and achievement shows that the Iranian nation is capable.”
“The few countries that have unjustly dominated the world through scientific monopoly and call themselves the global community – they are afraid that their scientific monopoly will be broken by the people of nations, and part of the uproar they have caused against the Iranian nation is because of this.”
“If nations can independently achieve advances in the nuclear areas, aerospace, technology, science and industry, then there will no longer be any room for the bullying hegemony of the superpowers.”
“It is necessary to seriously and powerfully continue scientific advances in different areas, particularly in nuclear technology, without paying attention to the uproar.”
“From one perspective, these pressures and sanctions are indicative of the weakness of the arrogant powers. In contrast, these pressures and sanctions will strengthen Iran because the people will understand from the anger of the enemy that they have chosen the right path and the right goals, and they will continue their path.”
“The sanctions have been there since the beginning of the Islamic Revolution, but the nuclear issue is a recent development. Therefore, their main problem is that there is a nation that is determined to become independent, a nation that is not prepared to give in to oppression, a nation that is determined to expose oppressors, a nation that wants to tell other nations that it has achieved this goal and that it will make even more accomplishments.”
“When a nation decides to resist by relying on divine assistance and its domestic power, no obstacle can stand in its way.”
“The issue of nuclear industry is not just limited to using nuclear technology in different sectors of the country, rather this movement brings about firm determination for the youth, scientists and people of Iran and it is very important to keep the nation steadfast and motivated.”