Iran's Khamenei dismisses nuclear bomb fears and supports deal with the West.

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has dismissed claims that Tehran may pursue a nuclear weapon as a false "excuse" used by untrustworthy international stakeholders. He emphasized that Islamic values prevent Iran from pursuing a weapon of mass destruction. Khamenei also stated that two decades of challenges with world powers have shown that some of them, along with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), cannot be relied upon to fully implement their commitments. However, he emphasized that cooperation with the IAEA must continue within the framework of safeguards agreements.