Iran's nuclear doctrine not likely to change, foreign minister says

Iran's stance against the development of nuclear weapons won't ​significantly change, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi ‌told Al Jazeera in remarks relayed by Iranian media on Wednesday, cautioning ​that the new supreme leader ​is yet to publicly express his ⁠view on the matter,

Former Supreme Leader ​Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed ​early in the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, opposed the development of weapons of mass ​destruction in a fatwa, or ​religious edict, issued in the early 2000s.

Western ‌countries, ⁠including the U.S. and Israel, have for years accused Tehran of seeking nuclear weapons, while Iranian authorities have ​said ​their nuclear ⁠programme is solely for civilian purposes.

Araqchi said fatwas depend ​on the Islamic jurist ​issuing ⁠them and added he was not yet in a position to judge ⁠the ​jurisprudential or political views ​of Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran's new supreme leader.