Tehran's interim Friday prayer leader Ahmad Khatami declared that Iran does not seek nuclear weapons, stating the country's religious doctrine prohibits weapons of mass destruction, ILNA news agency reported on February 6.

"We do not want nuclear energy for an atomic bomb, not because we fear America, but because our religion says we must not possess weapons of mass destruction," Khatami said during the sermon.

He defended Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's policies against domestic critics, saying those who described the leadership's approach as "destructive" should know that "these policies are destructive to America and Israel's agenda, which you do not want, but they are the same policies driving growth and prosperity for this nation."

Khatami urged supporters of the Islamic Republic to confront what he called "lies" spread by the opposition on social media, declaring cyberspace the new battleground for ideological struggle.

His call to action comes as Iranian government officials are currently conducting indirect talks with the US in Oman following weeks of protests and mass killings by government security forces across the country. 

"The key to social media is in the hands of those influenced by America, and they spread filth," Khatami said during the sermon.

In a suggestion to the faithful in Tehran, the firebrand cleric hinted that parishioners go online to argue against foreign talking points on platforms like X, Telegram and Instagram, which have become battlegrounds in recent months between supporters of the Royalists backing ousted former prince Reza Pahlavi, who have grown in prominence in recent months. 

"Hezbollahis should know that today, the field of explanatory jihad is social media. Enter the field and give ten answers to every lie."

Khatami addressed the recent protests, praising the intelligence services for their role during what he described as a "quasi-coup" in December and January.

He said security forces had rendered significant services and deserved recognition following weeks of protests at the beginning of January, which saw at least 3,117 people killed according to the Iranian government's disputed own figures.  However, a network of doctors cited in the UK's Sky News and The Sunday Times reported about 25,654 “clinically reported” deaths up to 23 January.

The sermon marked the 47th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, with Khatami listing eight factors behind the revolution's longevity, chief among them "faith in God" and public participation.

He said the opposition's targeting of religious sites during the recent protests, claiming more than 350 mosques were set ablaze along with 20 religious centres and 90 seminary schools, had been a factor in its failure.

"Iran today is its own master and is influential in the world," Khatami said. "If we were isolated, why would they exert so much effort to isolate us?"

He said seven seminary students had been killed during the protests and described the attacks on religious sites as a direct assault on faith, calling it the reason for the opposition's defeat.