Tehran is not going to abandon its presence in the region and its peaceful nuclear program as two main factors determining national power, Iranian spiritual leader Ali Khamenei said at a meeting with the Assembly of Experts of the Islamic Republic members.
"It is vital for any country to have national power. The basis of national power is security and defense power, as well as the economy, national welfare and a secure existence, the ability to ensure national interests on the regional and global front through political maneuvering and negotiations", Khamenei was quoted by Press TV.
According to him, the regional presence helps Iran gain more strategic depth and national power, and scientific advancement in the nuclear sphere is connected with the country's needs in the future.
