TEHRAN -- President Masoud Pezeshkian has declared that Iran is fully prepared for any war Israel might wage against the country, expressing skepticism about the recent ceasefire between the two sides. He also reaffirmed Tehran’s commitment to continuing its peaceful nuclear program.
In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera aired Wednesday, one of his first since the end of the 12-day war with Israel last month, Pezeshkian said, “We are fully prepared for any new Israeli military move, and our armed forces are ready to strike deep inside Israel again.”
Regarding the ceasefire that ended the intense aggression in June, he remarked, “We are not very optimistic about it.” 
He explained, “That is why we have prepared ourselves for any possible scenario and any potential response. Israel has harmed us, and we have also harmed it. It has dealt us powerful blows, and we have struck it hard in its depths, but it is concealing its losses.”
Addressing Israel’s targeted assassinations of Iran’s leading military figures and nuclear scientists, and the damage to nuclear facilities, Pezeshkian stated, “Israel’s strikes sought to eliminate our hierarchy, but it has completely failed to do so.”
The 12-day aggression resulted in over 900 Iranian martyrs, many of them civilians, and at least 28 Israeli fatalities, according to the Zionist regime’s highly censored figures, before a unilateral ceasefire declared by the U.S. took effect on June 24.
Pezeshkian emphasized Iran’s determination to continue uranium enrichment, saying, “We will continue our nuclear program within the framework of international laws.”
He dismissed claims made by U.S. President Donald Trump, who demanded Iran abandon nuclear program, saying, “[Trump] says that Iran should not have a nuclear weapon and we accept this because we reject nuclear weapons and this is our political, religious, humanitarian and strategic position.”
Reiterating Iran’s commitment to diplomacy, he said, “We believe in diplomacy, so any future negotiations must be according to a win-win logic, and we will not accept threats and dictates.”
He further explained, “The claim from Trump that our nuclear program is over is just an illusion. Our nuclear capabilities are in the minds of our scientists and not in the facilities.”
These statements echoed remarks
 made by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who told Fox News that Tehran would never abandon uranium enrichment but is open to negotiations ensuring the program’s peaceful nature in exchange for lifting sanctions.
President Pezeshkian also addressed the June 15 assassination attempt on him during a meeting of the Supreme National Security Council in Tehran, which reportedly left him with minor injuries. He said the attack was part of an Israeli plan “to put the country into chaos in order to overthrow it completely,” but asserted, “The plan had failed.”
Responding to Iran’s retaliatory strikes on the U.S. Al Udeid military base in Qatar after American attacks on Iranian nuclear sites, Pezeshkian stressed, “We do not even have a thought or imagination that there should be hostility or rivalry between us and the state of Qatar.”
He added that he personally contacted Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on the day of the strikes to clarify Iran’s position, saying, “I say clearly and honestly that we did not attack the State of Qatar, but we attacked a base for America that bombed our country while all our intentions towards Qatar and its people are good and positive.”
On the topic of Iran’s nuclear program and international oversight, Pezeshkian’s remarks follow Foreign Minister Araghchi’s announcement that Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization is currently assessing the impact of the recent attacks on enriched nuclear material. Tehran intends to soon report its findings to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
While Iran has suspended cooperation with the IAEA following legislation signed by Pezeshkian, the government has not entirely closed the door on inspectors returning. Araghchi noted any requests for IAEA inspections will be “carefully considered.”
Meanwhile, Iran is preparing for talks with France, Germany, and the UK in Turkiye this Friday. The three European parties to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — which Tehran originally signed in 2015 before the U.S. withdrawal in 2018 — have warned that failure to resume negotiations could lead to the reimposition of sanctions on Iran.
Iran now views these threats through a military lens, preparing a spectrum of responses beyond diplomatic protests. 
Withdrawal from the NPT is among the options on the table, but Iran’s responses will vary and escalate in proportion to the provocations faced.
So far, Iran has exercised restraint and maintained neutrality amid European tensions, avoiding involvement in European conflicts. 
However, continued European maximalist opposition to Iran and threats to Tehran’s interests may compel Iran to abandon this neutrality. This shift would heighten tensions and impose heavy costs on the European Troika.