Fatwa against nuclear weapons in Iran: Possession is a sin

A religious decree by Iran's supreme religious leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is binding on the Iranian government, Iran's foreign ministry said, saying the ban should put an end to the debate over Tehran's controversial nuclear program.

Iranian Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said the West must understand the significance of Khamenei's decree for Iran, adding: "There is nothing greater than the supreme leader's fatwa to define the framework for our activities in the nuclear field."

When the supreme religious leader issues a fatwa, it is binding on everyone in the country, Mehmanparast explained, The Associated Press reported.

The authorities in Tehran and the International Atomic Energy Agency are starting a new round of negotiations tomorrow on the disputed Iranian nuclear program.

The US and its allies accuse Iran of trying to develop atomic weapons under the guise of a civilian nuclear program, which the Iranian authorities deny, claiming that the program is intended exclusively for peacetime purposes.

Khamenei, who has the final say in Iran, said last year that Tehran was not trying to obtain nuclear weapons and called the possession of such weapons a "sin".