Larijani said in his interview with Al Jazeera that Iran has increased its level of preparedness.
He denied any written response to US’ demands and said an exchange of views is still ongoing, adding that the countries of the region support reaching a political solution for the nuclear issue.
Tehran views the negotiations positively, provided they are fair and reasonable and do not become a tool for procrastination or for imposing issues outside the nuclear framework, he noted.
Iran accepts the monitoring of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) within the framework of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), he stated.
It is unrealistic to ask a country that has already mastered this technology to reduce it to zero, he said, citing the need for enriched uranium for peaceful civilian purposes such as in cancer treatment.
Iran needs enrichment for certain tasks, he said, adding that there are a large number of cancer patients, and there is a reactor in Tehran that needs to produce medicine, requiring 20% enriched uranium.
“Our negotiations are exclusively with the United States – we are not engaged in any talks with Israel,” he said.
Israel’s strategy was “to destabilise the region”, and that its agenda “extends beyond its alleged concerns about Iran”, as was evidenced by its attack on the Qatari capital targeting Hamas officials in September.
“They are gambling not only with Iran, but also Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye,” he said, calling on regional leaders to “be aware of this.”
“Our missile program stands entirely separate from the nuclear one. It is a domestic matter, basically linked to our national security. As such, it cannot be part of these negotiations,” Larijani said.
Regarding attacks against Tehran’s allies, he announced that Lebanon’s Hezbollah has recovered its capabilities and now possesses high capability to confront Israel.
Carrying out an attack does not mean a decisive victory, and war inherently involves an exchange of blows, he stated.
Commenting on situation in Gaza, Larijani said the Israeli regime destroyed this area and committed widespread atrocities, but it has not been able to eliminate the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).
Expressing Iran’s readiness for any scenario, he said past experiences have shown that the outcome of war has not favored those who initiated the escalation.
While praising Qatar’s mediating role, he emphasized that the exchange of views with Qatari officials indicates a shared desire to prevent further escalation of tension in the region.
Regarding relations with China and Russia, Larijani stressed that cooperation with them is based on mutual interests, and their support for Iran in the UN Security Council represents a political partnership.
The US and Israel were involved in the recent adventurism in Iran, he said.
