Iran's president tells Fox anchor the war was 'imposed on us'

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has firmly denied any desire to develop a nuclear weapon, stating that Iran is prepared to allow international inspectors to verify its nuclear program, including diluting its enriched uranium stockpile. Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Pezeshkian emphasized that Iran's nuclear program is not aimed at producing a bomb, asserting that it is both "unholy" and "illegal" according to religious decree.

He reiterated that Iran is willing to reduce its enriched nuclear material and submit to international monitoring.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been unable to obtain information from Iran about the status of its declared nuclear material and facilities or conduct on-site verification, which has left the agency unable to fully fulfill its safeguards responsibilities. In September, the IAEA Board of Governors referred Iran's non-compliance issue to the United Nations Security Council, intensifying the dispute over Tehran's safeguards obligations.

Pezeshkian also pointed the finger at the United States, accusing Washington of choosing military action over continued negotiations. He maintained that Iran's military response is defensive and that Tehran does not wish to prolong the conflict. Pezeshkian reiterated that the United States, with President Donald Trump's leadership, views preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon as a primary objective, but stressed that Iran cannot be allowed to acquire such a weapon.