What is your opinion on the proliferation of nuclear weapons?

Alireza, male, age 18, university student, major: civil engineering

Nuclear weapons shouldn't be allowed for anybody, including the U.S., Pakistan, India, and others. They all have weapons, and then they tell Iran you can't have the energy.

Flor, female, age 45, married, mother, occupation: retired high school teacher, petrochemical engineer

Iran shouldn't get nuclear weapons. Anybody can decide to give up their common sense, and use one of these weapons to take out a chunk of people. Friend or foe makes no difference-all it takes is one person.

Mohsen, male, age 27, occupation: electrician

Iran should have nuclear weapons because of the existence of other countries with nuclear weapons.

Saman, Kurdish, male, age 29, married, father, occupation: businessman

America is really just scared for Israel. Even if Iran makes nuclear weapons, it's not powerful enough to present itself as a threat to Israel, unless it teams up with other countries that possess nuclear weapons. However, I support Iran's advancement through technology, not war.

I think Iran should have nuclear weapons for defense against neighboring aggressors. But we should never involve ourselves in nuclear warfare.

Mohammad Reza, male, age 30, single, occupation: international businessman

A country that's known in the world as a terrorist, that sends weapons bombs to Palestinians, that sends suicide bombers to blow up in restaurants in Germany, definitely wants nuclear energy in order to develop weapons.

Parvene, female, age 34, single, occupation: accountant

Iran won't produce nuclear weapons because it's not an aggressor. It never tried to usurp territory, like Iraq, or present itself as an offensive threat. It never used force to pursue its interests, which is why it doesn't need nuclear weapons.

Mahta, female, age 43, married, mother, occupation: elementary school teacher

In my opinion, Iran will never produce nuclear weapons.

Mehdi, male, age 18, single, university student, major: architecture

Iran won't build atomic weapons because Islam doesn't allow it.

Nabby, male, age 22, single, university student, major: civil engineering

Even though our government has no ambitions for nuclear weapons, I think we need to protect ourselves from America and Israel, two aggressive countries with atomic weapons, because of the threat they pose to us.

Morteza, male, age 50, married, father, war vet, occupation: electrical engineer

I say we should have it. Because the world is so ruthless, that it turns on the weakest. Iran must be strong enough to avoid this.

Fakhri, female, age 57, widowed, mother, occupation: homemaker

Muslim countries do not like war; they like peace and serenity. But they will fight, if under attack.

Farinaz, female, age 19, single, university student, major: general sciences

If nobody had nuclear weapons around the world, then it'd be fine-we wouldn't need to have them, either. But if a handful of countries possess such weapons, then everybody must have them.

Zohre, female, age 36, married, mother, occupation: homemaker

If we get them, we wouldn't use them because they aren't good. Only under the most dire circumstance, but I really don't think they would ever be used. Hiroshima had no greenery for years, and generations after are still paying the price. It's not good to treat God's creatures like this.

Autefeh, female, age 15, high school student, aspiring artist

I think weapons are good, and that we should have them, just in case a war is waged against Iran in the future. Iran needs to be able to defend itself.

Rayhaneh, female, age 18, university student, major: psychology

Even if we get them, we'll never use them. The supreme leader said we'd never use such weapons. Similar to a Cold War-type scenario, we'd probably use our weapons to stave off threats of attack, but we'd never use them. If we have weapons that America is aware of, it won't attempt to attack us.

Marzieh, female, age 22, single, university student, major: mathematics

I think Iran will eventually pursue weapons, which is a good thing, because Iran needs to be able to defend itself. If America wages war, it will undoubtedly use nuclear weapons on Iran. With America's track record, it's obvious that its intentions have always been to target people of weaker countries. But Iran's intention will never reflect this attitude. Having nuclear weapons will force America to recognize that Iran is not insignificant-that we too have weapons like yours we can throw back.

Khaleh Shaffi, female, age 70, occupation: everyone's auntie

We are Muslim, it is haram (prohibited) to kill in masses-we don't have this, we don't want this, and we oppose all who have it.

Hossein, male, age 37, married, father, occupation: management design and information systems specialist

I think Iran is already working on weapons, and has probably already obtained them. They shouldn't have permission to use these weapons, even if attacked.