Ahmad Khatami: We Have the Formula for Building an Atomic Bomb

Ahmad Khatami, the Friday prayer leader of Tehran and a member of the Assembly of Experts, stated that "we consider having nuclear energy vital for ourselves" and claimed that "we have the formula for building an atomic bomb." According to the IRNA news agency, Khatami spoke on Saturday evening, February 20, during a mourning session in Mashhad, saying, "Iran has never intended to build an atomic bomb. Of course, we have the formula for it, but we do not want to use weapons of mass destruction." Iranian officials have consistently denied any movement towards building an atomic bomb. The Tehran Friday prayer leader is now speaking of possessing the "formula" for such a bomb; he did not provide further explanation on this matter. In December 2015, Yukiya Amano, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), reported on the potential military dimensions of Iran's past nuclear program, stating that the Islamic Republic had conducted a range of activities related to the construction of a nuclear explosive device before the end of 2003. According to this report, some of these activities continued until 2009. This case is now closed. The Associated Press previously reported that Iran's 20% uranium reserves, estimated at about 200 kilograms until the Geneva agreement in 2013, were only one step away from being converted into the materials necessary to build at least one atomic bomb. However, according to IAEA documents at the time of Iran and world powers reaching a nuclear agreement, Iran had over 100 kilograms of low-enriched liquid and solid uranium. For the construction of a nuclear weapon, a much higher volume than 300 kilograms of uranium is required. Nevertheless, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated at the United Nations General Assembly that Iran, after the JCPOA, not only did not destroy its documents related to the nuclear bomb program but also hid a lot of nuclear materials in Torqozabad. However, Iranian officials have rejected this claim. Some hardliners emphasize that Iran does not intend to acquire a nuclear bomb, yet they oppose the JCPOA, stating that this agreement has led to the loss of part of the Islamic Republic's nuclear program. Khatami also said on Sunday, "America's mischief has lowered the wick of Iran's nuclear power; the JCPOA is over. What preserves Iran in this situation is its missile power." While Donald Trump, the President of the United States, has called the nuclear agreement with Iran, known as the JCPOA, the "worst deal ever" and has withdrawn from it, European officials who signed the agreement acknowledge that the JCPOA is not "ideal," but they say it is a suitable option to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear bomb. European countries that seek to preserve the JCPOA have joined Washington in protesting and criticizing missile tests. The U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA and the reinstatement of sanctions have had a significant negative impact on Iran's economy. Ahmad Khatami, a member of the Assembly of Experts, also said on Sunday, "It is indeed impossible to deny the problems of the people; the people are suffering. If it were not for the leadership of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution and the establishment of the Supreme Economic Council, and if they had not instructed the judiciary to deal decisively with offenders, the situation would have been worse."