Iran is not only ready for a war with Israel, but it has announced that it will not end its nuclear program to prevent said war either. Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has said his country is also not optimistic about the ceasefire between Tehran and Israel, while confirming a commitment to continuing its nuclear program for peaceful purposes.

Pexeshkian also said that Iran is ready for a war should Israel decide to start one.

Pezeshkian made the comments in an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera aired on Wednesday, one of his first since the end of the 12-day conflict with Israel last month, in which the United States intervened on Israel’s behalf, launching strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. –Al Jazeera

“We are fully prepared for any new Israeli military move, and our armed forces are ready to strike deep inside Israel again,” Pezeshkian told Al Jazeera. He added that Iran is not relying on the ceasefire that “ended” the 12-day war to hold. “We are not very optimistic about it,” the media outlet quoted him saying.

“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.”

Israel seems to be doing just fine, actually, considering it’s still striking Gaza and displacing innocent civilians. Pezeshkian said that Israel failed to eliminate Iran’s leadership and rulers, though, so their efforts were “failures.”

“[US President Donald] 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,” 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.”

Nuclear Standoff Between Iran And U.S. & Israel Intensifies

Pezeshkian’s comments echoed earlier remarks by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who said in an interview with Fox News that aired Monday, that Tehran would never abandon its uranium enrichment program. The country is open to negotiating a solution to its nuclear ambitions, in exchange for lifting sanctions. This would guarantee that the program was for peaceful purposes only.