Iran will secure its interests through diplomacy or on battlefield: Nuclear agency spokesman
Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesman and deputy head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), says Iran will secure its national interests through both diplomacy and resistance, and is ready for confrontation if negotiations fail.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Kamalvandi said Tehran would continue to defend its rights and interests, insisting that diplomatic engagement and resistance are complementary rather than contradictory approaches.
“If our interests can be secured through diplomacy, so much the better. Otherwise, we will secure them with strength and determination on the battlefield,” he said.
Kamalvandi added that Iran would not allow other countries to use force to obtain concessions they had failed to secure through negotiations.
He stressed that the country remained committed to protecting its national interests while continuing to pursue diplomatic solutions.
Addressing a question about the possibility of Iran withdrawing from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the future of its cooperation with the IAEA, Kamalvandi criticized the agency's handling of Iran's nuclear file.
He said Iran had maintained extensive cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog but added that political influence had prevented the agency from fulfilling its responsibilities.
According to Kamalvandi, resolutions adopted against Iran were politically motivated and lacked a sound legal basis.
He said such measures harmed not only Iran but also the credibility of the IAEA and the wider international non-proliferation framework.
Kamalvandi further noted that any decision on withdrawing from the NPT would involve the Iranian parliament, which would conduct the necessary deliberations, stressing that the government would act in accordance with its established policies.
He also reiterated that Iran's nuclear program is peaceful, transparent and subject to continuous IAEA monitoring. He said international reports had demonstrated that Iran's activities had remained on the right track.
He stressed that Iran's nuclear industry was indigenous and could not be dismantled through attacks or other forms of pressure.
“Our nuclear industry has deep roots in Iran. It is not an industry that can be eliminated with a few blows,” he said, arguing that those seeking to undermine the sector had failed to understand its domestic capabilities.
Kamalvandi said nuclear technology contributed to several areas of Iran's economy and public services, including healthcare, nuclear medicine, energy production, agriculture and industry.
He added that Iran would continue to develop these capabilities despite external pressure, describing the nuclear sector as an important source of national progress.
The AEOI spokesman also addressed security threats against Iran, saying the country had long faced such challenges and had repeatedly taken steps to prepare for potential confrontation.
He said Iranian authorities had made the necessary preparations in the past and would continue to do so, expressing hope that Iran's adversaries would recognize that the country would not yield to coercion.
Kamalvandi reiterated that protecting Iran's rights and interests remained the government's priority, regardless of whether progress came through diplomatic negotiations or resistance.
At the negotiating table, he said, Iran would continue to insist on its rights and would not accept pressure to abandon them.
Iran, as a signatory to the NPT, maintains that its nuclear program is exclusively peaceful and that there has been no diversion of nuclear material following more than two decades of inspections.