Iran's Leader made the remarks in a meeting with a group of nuclear experts and officials in Tehran on Sunday.

Ayatollah Khamenei underlined that Iranian nuclear managers, authorities and activists have over the past years set up important infrastructure for the country’s nuclear industry.

The Supreme Leader called on Iranian authorities to commercialize nuclear services and products.

"Iran’s nuclear products and services must be commercialized. There is a good demand for our achievements in the international markets and these can be used to the benefit of the country’s economy and income. There should be cooperation with allied countries," he stressed.

He stressed that there is nothing wrong with reaching a deal if Iran’s nuclear infrastructure remains untouched, urging vigilance when dealing with the West, as “it has reneged on its promises many times and its untrustworthiness is now proven".

“You may want to reach agreements in some fields. Nothing is wrong with [reaching] agreements, but the infrastructure must remain intact. They must not be harmed. They are the fruit of others’ endeavors,” the Leader stated.

“We were dealt blows because of these misplaced trusts. It is very important that a nation and the officials of a country know and understand where they should trust and where not. We have understood it over the past twenty years. We understood who is trustworthy and who is not,” he continued.

The Supreme Leader underscored that the enemies use the claim that Iran is developing nuclear weapons as an excuse to target Iran, but the claim is no more than a lie and they are well aware of it.

“The enemies have created a nuclear challenge for us for twenty years because they know that the movement in the nuclear industry is the key to the country’s scientific progress,” Ayatollah Khamenei said, adding, “The excuse of nuclear weapons is a lie and they (the enemies) know it too.”

“Based on our Islamic basis, we do not want to go towards [nuclear] weapons. Otherwise, they (the enemies) would not have been able to stop it, as until now they could not stop our nuclear developments,” he stressed.

Tehran has repeatedly announced that it has no intention of developing nuclear weapons, with Ayatollah Khamenei even issuing religious edicts against the atom bomb and other weapons of mass destruction.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the Leader described the nuclear industry as one of the most important components of the country’s power, credibility and strength, saying that the industry is key to progress in many fields.

He further said that the industry improves people’s lives in technical, economic and health sectors and adds weight to the country’s global and international political standing.

Ayatollah Khamenei added that the 20-year nuclear challenge demonstrated the extraordinary ability and talent of Iranian youth despite sanctions as well as threats against scientists and the assassination of some of them.

The challenge also laid bare the inhuman, unfair and bullying logic of opponents, who have expectations from us beyond existing safeguards agreements, he asserted.

The challenge, he stressed, further exposed the unreliability of the promises made by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the opposite in the talks aimed at reviving the 2025 nuclear deal.

Mission to UN: No Secret Nuclear Activities in Iranhttps://t.co/SQ5UYl2HS8 pic.twitter.com/6cwVb9Rgqc

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Iran proved the peaceful nature of its nuclear program to the world by signing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with six world powers. However, Washington’s exit in May 2018 and its subsequent re-imposition of sanctions against Tehran left the future of the deal in limbo.

Negotiations kicked off in the Austrian capital city of Vienna in April 2021, with the intention of removing anti-Iran sanctions and examining the United States’ seriousness in rejoining the agreement.

The talks, however, have been at a standstill since August 2022 due to Washington’s insistence on not removing all the sanctions and its failure to offer necessary guarantees that it will not abandon the deal again.

Iranian officials have repeatedly reiterated Tehran's readiness to conclude the nuclear negotiations with the world powers, but warned the Western parties to the agreement that the window of opportunity for saving the deal won't remain open forever (READ MORE).

Iran has always had full cooperation with the IAEA and allowed it to visit the country’s nuclear sites, but calls the UN nuclear agency's policies unconstructive and destructive. Tehran denies all accusations levelled by the West over the existence of undeclared nuclear activities or material in Iran. It describes the move by the US and its allies as a propaganda campaign against Tehran's peaceful nuclear program.

Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Mohammad Eslami has numerously blasted the Western countries' efforts to impede Iran's acquisition and development of new technologies.

He stated that there is a firm determination to prevent Tehran from gaining access to new technologies, blaiming big powers for their opposition in this regard.

"Efforts have been underway by certain countries since the 1979 Islamic Revolution to halt Iran’s technological progress, especially nuclear industry, by leveling baseless accusations against the Islamic Republic," the official noted.