Iran's Nuclear Policy and Defense Strategy

We are an Islamic government, and have accepted governing the country under the guardianship of Shiite jurists.

But matters of jurisprudence must be left to the jurists themselves.

We have no business interfering in their jurisprudential matters or meddling.

They are bound by their own principles, and they don't make concessions to the people.

On what grounds?—On grounds contrary to religious law.

If they consider it contrary to religious law, even if everyone came and said, “Sir, do this thing that violates religious law,” they would not go along with it.

We must fulfill our national duty and our duty to defend the Iranian people.

This must be the main point and principle we pursue.

If we have a greater need, if this was the point this debate reached, this demand will be answered.

If it doesn't reach that point, it won't be.

We say, “We hear and obey.” We experienced this during the war with Imam Khomeini.

We were under missile attack, and under chemical attack.

Imam Khomeini would grant permission in some cases, and in some cases, he would not.

While the Hezbollah community, the people, kept demanding it in the streets.

It was being demanded while the enemy was launching missile attacks against us, attacking us, raining missiles down on our cities.

But the late Imam Khomeini, may God have mercy on him, regarding the missile program, did allow us to build missiles and things like that.

But he did not allow us to strike cities.

The enemy's military bases were struck. That is a matter for our leader.

We are his servants. Whatever he commands, we listen: “At your service and obeying.”

But our enemy has made us understand that we can't speak any other language except the language of nuclear weapons.

That's how they've made us understand. How else could Trump put it?

He's said this many times: If they had nuclear weapons, we'd have to call them “sir.”

If they had nuclear weapons, if we had the nerve, we'd even call and ask permission from Iran's Supreme Leader.

He, the others, and American experts too, Even Israeli experts say this If we truly want to protect the lives of the Iranian people, and the lives of Muslims in the region, if we want peace in West Asia, almost all American experts have spoken out.

This Mr. Mearsheimer, this Mr. Stephen Hawking, say that for there to be peace, for West Asia to be freed from Israeli aggression and American aggression, Iran must become a nuclear power.