# Has Iran said they will pursue nuclear weapons? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 29, 2006, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-iran-said-they-will-pursue-nuclear-weapons/370647 "2006-08-29T11:36:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gitfiddle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/898d66/32.png) [@gitfiddle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gitfiddle)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-iran-said-they-will-pursue-nuclear-weapons/370647/1 "2006-08-29T11:36:26Z")
I’m just wondering if Iran has explicitly said they will try to construct nuclear weapons from the enriched uranium they are/will use in their nuclear facilities? I was always under the impression that they had said they want to build power plants, though the West wants them to stop due to a lack of trust. I’m not asking if power stations are just a guise for a nuclear weapons program. I’m asking if they have flat out said they will build nuclear weapons. Recently, much of the coverage I’ve seen on the news has said nothing/little about power plants, and one politician (forgot who) the other day kept referring to what’s happening as “Iran’s nuclear weapons program.” ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-iran-said-they-will-pursue-nuclear-weapons/370647/2 "2006-08-29T12:27:33Z")
They’ve repeatedly said they have no intention of building nuclear weapons. Here’s an example: [Iranian TV: Ayatollah Khamene’i Speaks on Khomeyni’s Death Anniversary Islamic Republic of Iran News Network Television](http://www.juancole.com/2006/06/khamenei-no-nuclear-weapon-program-no.html): > [@](#): > > "Their other issue is [their assertion] that Iran seeks [a] nuclear bomb. It is an irrelevant and wrong statement, it is a sheer lie. We do not need a nuclear bomb. We do not have any objectives or aspirations for which we will need to use a nuclear bomb. We consider using nuclear weapons against Islamic rules. We have announced this openly. We think imposing the costs of building and maintaining nuclear weapons on our nation is unnecessary. Building such weapons and their maintenance are costly. By no means we deem it right to impose these costs on the people. We do not need those weapons. Unlike the Americans who want to rule the world with force, we do not claim to control the world and therefore do not need a nuclear bomb. Our nuclear bomb and our explosive powers are our faith, our youth and our people who have been present on the most difficult scenes with utmost power and faith and will continue to do so. (Chants of slogan, God is great). ---
**Author:** ![Wildfire\_MM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f08c70/32.png) [@Wildfire\_MM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wildfire_MM)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-iran-said-they-will-pursue-nuclear-weapons/370647/3 "2006-08-29T17:48:44Z")
> [@gitfiddle](#): > > I’m just wondering if Iran has explicitly said they will try to construct nuclear weapons from the enriched uranium they are/will use in their nuclear facilities? I was always under the impression that they had said they want to build power plants, though the West wants them to stop due to a lack of trust. > > I’m not asking if power stations are just a guise for a nuclear weapons program. I’m asking if they have flat out said they will build nuclear weapons. > > Recently, much of the coverage I’ve seen on the news has said nothing/little about power plants, and one politician (forgot who) the other day kept referring to what’s happening as “Iran’s nuclear weapons program.” Many suspect that they intend to develop nuclear weapons, but much can also suggest that their only intent is to build power plants Iran’s ambition to build nuclear power plants aren’t something that they decided after the revolution. I believe that Iran had a nuclear cooperation with USA in the 1970’s Iran have never said that they intent to develop nuclear weapons, but who knows ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-iran-said-they-will-pursue-nuclear-weapons/370647/4 "2006-08-29T18:43:46Z")
You may find this wikipedia article interesting. > **[Nuclear program of Iran](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran's_nuclear_program)** > > The nuclear program of Iran is an ongoing scientific effort by Iran to research nuclear technology. Iran has several research sites, two uranium mines, a research reactor, and uranium processing facilities that include three known uranium enrichment plants. > Iran's nuclear program, launched in the 1950s with United States assistance under the Atoms for Peace program, was aimed at peaceful nuclear technology research. In 1970, Iran ratified the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), subjecting its nuc... It goes into detail about Iran’s point of view, and why they think they need nuclear power. It also covers a lot of the other issues, basically covering everything from when the nuke program started back in the 50’s up until the present day. Unlike most of the other stuff you read these days, this article seems to be reasonably fair on presenting both sides without politicizing the issues. Just out of curiosity, has any country ever claimed that it was producing nukes just to make bombs, or has it always been either completely secret or hidden under the veil of nuclear power plants until the first bomb actually works? ---
**Author:** ![bbeaty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c0e974/32.png) [@bbeaty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbeaty)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2006, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-iran-said-they-will-pursue-nuclear-weapons/370647/5 "2006-08-30T00:44:24Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > Just out of curiosity, has any country ever claimed that it was producing nukes just to make bombs, or has it always been either completely secret or hidden under the veil of nuclear power plants until the first bomb actually works? If the Iranian government notices that the USA leaves N. Korea alone, and also leaves Pakistan alone (even though Bin Laden probably was hiding out there,) and the main reason is the nuclear weapons owned by those countries… what should Iran think? “We gots to get us summa THOSE!!!” What they actually SAY will be quite different, of course. ---
**Author:** ![FRDE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e68b1a/32.png) [@FRDE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FRDE)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2006, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-iran-said-they-will-pursue-nuclear-weapons/370647/6 "2006-08-30T08:03:06Z")
> [@bbeaty](#): > > If the Iranian government notices that the USA leaves N. Korea alone, and also leaves Pakistan alone (even though Bin Laden probably was hiding out there,) and the main reason is the nuclear weapons owned by those countries… what should Iran think? The USA is friendly with the Pakistan Government - the Pakistan Government has problems with some of its population and some of its Intelligence Service. Actually the USA has historically been friendly with Pakistan - India was historically friendly with the USSR because the USSR was not friendly with the Chinese, and India was nervous of the Chinese because they got invaded by them. Since Pakistan was not friendly with India, it kind of lumped them with the USA. It is playground allegiences, but rather handy, as Pakistan is not the stablest of regimes. Iran signed the Non Proliferation Treaty and repeatedly say they don’t want the bomb - the trouble is that very few people believe them ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2006, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-iran-said-they-will-pursue-nuclear-weapons/370647/7 "2006-08-30T08:30:31Z")
> [@gitfiddle](#): > > I’m just wondering if Iran has explicitly said they will try to construct nuclear weapons from the enriched uranium they are/will use in their nuclear facilities? I was always under the impression that they had said they want to build power plants, though the West wants them to stop due to a lack of trust. No…of course they haven’t. Afaik NO country who was developing nuclear weapons in secret shouted this fact to the world. A lot of countries (like Israel) in fact tryin to keep you guessing even after they have supposedly developed the things. Why I’m skeptical of the claim is because Russia has offered to provide Iran with all the nuclear fuel they need if indeed they only want it for peaceful generation of power. In fact, thats the key to the proposal by the west toward Iran…they can STILL have their nuclear power…they just can’t process their own fuel, nor have plants that could be dual use. Iran has refused this offer, despite having some pretty tempting goodies attached to it by the west. One has to wonder why… -XT