TEHRAN – Iran’s former foreign minister and chief negotiator of the 2015 nuclear deal said on Monday that Tehran has never sought nuclear weapons, arguing that U.S. President Donald Trump’s attacks on Iran would have provided the clearest justification if it had.

In an interview with Al Jazeera on the sidelines of the Doha Forum, Zarif said Iran’s religious principles and defense doctrine opposing nuclear arms remain unchanged. “If we had wanted to build a nuclear weapon, Trump’s attacks would have been the best justification for doing so,” he said.

Zarif argued that Iran has never sought a nuclear weapons program, adding that if Tehran had ever needed a pretext, the policies and actions of the Trump administration would have provided it. He said U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities could have been used as an excuse to shift course, but maintained that Iran continues to use its nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

For nearly two decades, Iran’s nuclear program has been the target of sustained international pressure. Comprehensive multilateral sanctions first emerged in 2006 and grew increasingly punitive as Western governments accused Tehran of seeking nuclear weapons. In 2013, Iran and the P5+1 — the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and China — launched intensive negotiations that lasted about 18 months, culminating in the signing of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2015.

Under the agreement, Iran accepted major restrictions on its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief, which many hoped would ease pressure on the Iranian economy and improve living standards.

‘Diplomacy damaged by strikes, but still the only path’

Zarif also addressed the collapse of diplomacy in recent negotiations, saying Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites during the talks severely undermined public confidence in diplomacy inside Iran. Still, he insisted that diplomacy remains the only viable solution and said Iran would continue to resist threats and pressure while keeping the door open to political engagement.

Reflecting on the JCPOA — the agreement reached in 2015 between Iran and the world powers — Zarif said the deal showed that cooperation was possible, but that it was easier for parties to fall back into old patterns than to remain committed to a new framework. He said he expected the United States to honor its obligations, but Washington ultimately withdrew from the agreement in 2018, setting off years of renewed pressure and what he described as repeated violations of commitments.

The deal’s promise of relief collapsed after U.S. President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the JCPOA, reimposed sanctions, and expanded what Washington called a “maximum pressure” campaign. Over time, the sanctions sharply intensified economic hardship, particularly for Iran’s middle class, fueling inflation and steadily eroding purchasing power.

After the U.S. withdrawal, Iran held multiple rounds of talks with American and European officials in an effort to revive the agreement, but Tehran says it faced continued pressure to accept conditions beyond the original framework.

‘Technology exists in our scientists’ minds’

Asked about the current state of Iran’s nuclear program, Zarif said Iran possesses the scientific and technical knowledge to rebuild whatever is damaged. “Whatever the situation may be, it exists in the minds of Iranian scientists,” he said. “We have the technology, we own it, and we can rebuild it.”

He added that the best way to ensure the peaceful nature of nuclear technology is greater transparency and openness.

His comments come after the June 2025 conflict, when the United States and Israel launched a 12-day bombing campaign targeting Iran’s nuclear, civilian, and military infrastructure — strikes that occurred just ahead of a planned sixth round of negotiations with Washington.

‘Israel is the biggest threat to the region’

Zarif described Israel as the biggest threat to the region and said Tehran’s support for resistance groups was aimed at preventing further Israeli aggression against Palestinians. 

He noted that “the resistance” existed before Iran’s Islamic Revolution and was not created solely for Iran’s self-defense.

Zarif also suggested that peace and stability in the region pose a strategic threat to Israel — especially to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “The greatest existential threat to Israel, and particularly to Netanyahu, is peace and calm in this region,” he said. He added that if regional and international actors remain alert to actions aimed at undermining peace, “we can certainly find a way.”

‘Iran remains ready to engage in dialogue with regional Arab countries’

Zarif said Iran remains ready to engage in dialogue with regional Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. He said he had proposed several initiatives during his time as foreign minister to improve relations and continues to work on those ideas. “We are certainly ready for dialogue with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar,” he said, adding that Iran currently has strong relations with Qatar.