Iran's supreme leader said on Sunday that reaching a deal with the West over Tehran's disputed nuclear work was possible if the country's nuclear infrastructure remained intact, state media quoted Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as saying.
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"There is nothing wrong with the agreement (with the West), but the infrastructure of our nuclear industry should not be touched," he said, adding that Tehran should continue working with The International Atomic Energy Agency under the framework of safeguards.
At the same time, Khamenei added that The West could not stop Iran from building nuclear weapons if Tehran wanted a pursue a nuclear arms program. "Talks about Tehran's nuclear weapons are a lie and they (the West) know it. We do not want nuclear arms based on our religious beliefs. Otherwise, they would not have been able to stop it," Khamenei said, according to state media.
Indirect talks between Tehran and Washington to revive Iran's 2015 nuclear accord with six major powers have been at a stalemate since September, with both sides accusing each other of making unreasonable demands. In 2019, Iran began breaching the deal's terms in response to a US withdrawal in 2018 under then-President Donald Trump.
The 2015 agreement limited Iran's uranium enrichment activity to make it harder for Tehran to develop nuclear arms, in return for lifting international sanctions. Iran denies wanting to acquire nuclear weapons. Both Tehran and Washington on Thursday denied a report that they were nearing an interim deal under which Tehran would curb its nuclear program in return for sanctions relief.
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