Ali Larijani, former speaker of Iran’s parliament and a senior adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned that U.S. aggression could force Iran to pursue nuclear weapons in self-defense.
“We are not moving toward [nuclear] weapons, but if you act recklessly on the Iranian nuclear issue, you will push Iran in that direction because it must defend itself,” Larijani said in a televised interview.
“Iran does not want this, but it will have no choice,” he added. “If at any point you [the U.S.] move to bomb us—whether alone or through Israel—you will force Iran to make a different decision.”
Trump’s Threats and Iran’s Defiant Response
U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly stated on Saturday that “there will be bombing” if Iran refuses to agree to a nuclear deal, according to NBC News. He also threatened “secondary tariffs” against Tehran. While Trump’s remarks escalated tensions, it remained unclear whether he was referring to unilateral U.S. action or coordination with Israel, Iran’s regional adversary.
In response, Supreme Leader Khamenei condemned the threats during a speech marking Eid al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan. “They threaten mischief,” he said. “If they act, they will undoubtedly face a strong counterattack.”
Iran’s U.N. Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani reinforced the warning in a letter to the U.N. Security Council, denouncing what he called “warmongering provocations.” He stated that Iran “will respond swiftly and decisively to any act of aggression by the United States or its proxy, the Israeli regime.”
In recent years, some Iranian politicians—particularly hardliners—have pushed for the country to develop nuclear weapons, citing perceived military threats from the U.S. and Israel. However, international inspections have repeatedly confirmed that Iran maintains no nuclear arsenal.