Shamkhani: “If we returned to 1990s, we would definitely build nukes”

Shamkhani commented on several key national security issues, including the strategic calculus behind closing the Strait of Hormuz. “To close the Strait of Hormuz, one must be at the very end of the line — we have not reached that point yet,” he stated.

Addressing speculation about possible Israeli regime’s involvement in the helicopter crash that led to the martyrdom of former Iranian President Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi, Shamkhani said: “Given the technical capability of the investigative teams, no evidence of foreign involvement has been found. However, it is possible that the incident was beyond our technical capacity to determine.”

He also referred to the downing of the Ukrainian passenger plane by Iran in January 2020 and the reason behind the three-day delay in the official announcement of the cause. “After the incident, I informed the President. Some believed the incident may have resulted from U.S. electronic warfare, and that is why there was a three-day delay in publicly announcing the results of the investigation,” Shamkhani said.

His remarks—particularly the acknowledgment that he would have supported Iran’s acquisition of a nuclear weapon if history were reversed—mark one of the most candid statements from a senior Iranian official on the country’s past strategic considerations.