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Iran president says nuclear weapons banned by Khamenei ahead of talks with US
The two countries renewed negotiations this month, hoping to tackle a decades-long stand-off over Tehran's nuclear program
- PUBLISHED: Thu 26 Feb 2026, 12:30 PM
- By:
- Reuters
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has banned weapons of mass destruction, which "clearly means Tehran won't develop nuclear weapons", President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Thursday.
Pezeshkian was speaking ahead of a third round of nuclear talks with the US, which continues to accuse Tehran of seeking nuclear weapons.
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Khamenei, who has the last say on Tehran's nuclear programme, banned the development of nuclear weapons in a fatwa, or religious decree, in the early 2000s.
On Thursday, Iran and the US will hold the latest round of talks in Geneva aimed at resolving their longstanding nuclear dispute and averting new US strikes on Iran following a large-scale military buildup.
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The two countries renewed negotiations this month, hoping to tackle a decades-long stand-off over Tehran's nuclear program, which Washington, other Western states, and Israel believe is aimed at building nuclear arms. Tehran denies this.
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, will attend the indirect talks with Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, a U.S. official told Reuters. The talks follow discussions in Geneva last week and will be mediated by Oman's Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi.
On Wednesday evening, Araqchi and Albusaidi discussed the proposals Iran will put forward to reach an agreement, according to a statement posted on X by Oman's foreign ministry.
Albusaidi is scheduled to meet on Thursday morning with the US negotiating team to convey Iran's views and hear those of the United States, the statement added.