Iran’s nuclear chief has stressed the right to achieve peaceful nuclear technology for all countries and said Islamic Republic intended to use its right to develop peaceful nuclear programs despite pressures from certain states.

Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Mohammad Eslami said that acquiring nuclear technology is a legitimate source of power for any country.

Eslami argued that all countries, including Iran, are entitled to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes and that Iran intends to use that right.

However, certain powers have abused their veto right at the UN Security Council to prevent Iran from developing its peaceful nuclear program, he said.

According to Eslami, numerous allegations have been leveled against the Islamic Republic over the years and its nuclear dossier has been sent to the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the UN Security Council.

Resolutions and sanctions have been slapped against Iran as a result, he added.

The Iranian nuclear chief also noted that Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has in the past 25 years stressed the importance of developing nuclear technology.  

He added that the AEOI has adopted a comprehensive strategic document and taken major steps to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

Ayatollah Khamenei said in February that enemies are seeking to deprive Iranians of peaceful nuclear energy, stressing once again that the Islamic Republic has never sought nuclear weapons.

“They know we are not seeking that; that we are not looking for a nuclear weapon. We are looking to benefit from nuclear energy in peaceful ways. They know this. [But] They do not want the Iranian nation to achieve such outstanding scientific progress and that’s why they are pressuring us,” Ayatollah Khamenei stated.

Eslami’s remarks came a few hours before Iran provided the European Union with its final conclusion on high-profile negotiations in Vienna aimed at reviving the 2015 nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).