"We are not afraid of nuclear weapons. The point is that if we had in fact wanted to build a nuclear bomb, we are brave enough to say that we want it. But we never do that"
About this Quote
The subtext is aimed at two audiences. Abroad, it's a message to Washington and European capitals: your pressure campaign misreads us, and your red lines do not frighten us. By claiming Iran would openly announce a weapons program if it wanted one, he invites listeners to treat secrecy as proof of nonexistence - a clever inversion given that proliferation typically thrives on opacity. At home, it’s a nationalist tonic. He casts Iran as the adult in the room, too principled to bluff, too fearless to be cornered. That posture plays well in a political culture where defiance against foreign coercion is a domestic asset.
Context matters: this kind of line lands in the era of intensifying IAEA scrutiny, sanctions, and Israel-U.S. warnings about a potential breakout capability. Ahmadinejad exploits the ambiguity built into nuclear programs that can be civilian and military-adjacent. He doesn’t try to settle the ambiguity; he weaponizes it. The real intent is less to persuade skeptics than to signal steadfastness, raising the political costs of forcing Iran to publicly capitulate while keeping just enough deniability to avoid a direct admission of intent.
Quote Details
| Topic | War |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Ahmadinejad, Mahmoud. (2026, January 16). We are not afraid of nuclear weapons. The point is that if we had in fact wanted to build a nuclear bomb, we are brave enough to say that we want it. But we never do that. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/we-are-not-afraid-of-nuclear-weapons-the-point-is-119232/
Chicago Style
Ahmadinejad, Mahmoud. "We are not afraid of nuclear weapons. The point is that if we had in fact wanted to build a nuclear bomb, we are brave enough to say that we want it. But we never do that." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/we-are-not-afraid-of-nuclear-weapons-the-point-is-119232/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"We are not afraid of nuclear weapons. The point is that if we had in fact wanted to build a nuclear bomb, we are brave enough to say that we want it. But we never do that." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/we-are-not-afraid-of-nuclear-weapons-the-point-is-119232/. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
