Iranian officials have confirmed that lawmakers are in the early stages of drafting a bill that may see the country exit the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). While no decision has been finalised, the move follows heightened tensions with Israel and a recent resolution by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) accusing Iran of violating its NPT commitments.
Iranian authorities announced on Monday that lawmakers are preparing legislation that could lead the country to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), as tensions escalate with Israel and Western powers over its nuclear activities, Reuters reported.
According to Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei, the proposal to exit the NPT is still in its preliminary phase and has not yet been finalised by parliament. “In light of recent developments, we will take an appropriate decision. Government has to enforce parliament bills, but such a proposal is just being prepared and we will coordinate in the later stages with parliament,” Baghaei said during a press conference, according to Reuters.
The NPT, which Iran ratified in 1970, allows for the development of civilian nuclear energy while obliging signatories to refrain from pursuing nuclear weapons and to work closely with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The move comes just days after Israel launched airstrikes on Iranian targets, claiming Tehran was on the brink of producing a nuclear weapon. Iran has repeatedly denied such allegations, maintaining that its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes.
Baghaei suggested that recent international actions, including a critical resolution passed by the IAEA, paved the way for Israel’s military strikes. “Those voting for the resolution prepared the ground for the attack,” he reportedly said, adding that developments like these “naturally affect the strategic decisions of the state.”
Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian referenced a religious edict issued by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which prohibits the development or use of nuclear weapons.
Iranian state media echoed the government’s stance, reporting that no official decision has been made regarding NPT withdrawal and that the parliamentary proposal remains at the early stages of the legislative process.
Baghaei also took aim at Israel, which has never signed the NPT and maintains a policy of nuclear ambiguity. “The Zionist regime is the only possessor of weapons of mass destruction in the region,” he said, per Reuters.
Israel is widely believed by regional governments and analysts to possess nuclear weapons, though it has never confirmed this publicly.
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This post was last modified on June 16, 2025 4:15 pm
