Despite the prohibition under Islamic law on the development and use of nuclear weapons, as repeatedly stated by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, it could still be reconsidered, the official said.
Atomic Energy Organization of Iran chief Mohammad Eslami announced earlier this year that the Islamic Republic would build four 1,250 MW reactors at a large new nuclear power plant in Hormozgan province over the coming decade, with the $20 bln project expected to generate some 20,000 MW of energy by 2041.
Iran also has a thriving nuclear educational infrastructure, with nuclear engineering taught at up to two dozen universities, and substantial resources dedicated to the tech and industrial front to maximize nuclear independence.