Framing the atom: science, sovereignty, and restraint in Ali Khamenei’s nuclear discourse

Since 2002, Iran's nuclear program has sparked international controversy, largely shaped by Western narratives that view Tehran's ambitions through the lens of deception and latent weaponization. This study shifts the focus to Iran's internal narrative by examining 242 speeches delivered by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei between 2002 and 2023. Through thematic content analysis, it identifies four central themes in his discourse: nationalism and sovereignty, which portrays nuclear energy as a sovereign right and a symbol of pride; scientific advancement, linking nuclear technology to progress and modernity; critique of the West, accusing it of double standards; and religious restraint, rooted in his fatwa prohibiting nuclear weapons. The article also offers a focused analysis of speeches in which Khamenei directly addressed nuclear weapons, finding that his opposition extended beyond their use to encompass production and that his reasoning combined religious principle with strategic skepticism, cost-benefit considerations, and Iran's experience as a victim of chemical warfare. This internal discourse long framed Iran's nuclear program as a project rooted in national independence and scientific progress, a framework whose durability following Khamenei's assassination in February 2026 now constitutes a consequential open question in nonproliferation.