Iran’s Foreign Ministry has confirmed that the country’s parliament (Majlis) is actively discussing a bill that could lead to withdrawal from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). This development comes as Tehran faces ongoing military pressures, including reported strikes on its nuclear facilities and infrastructure by the United States and Israel.
Why Iran is Considering NPT Withdrawal
Lawmakers argue that continued membership in the NPT offers no tangible benefits to Iran while failing to protect its peaceful nuclear program from external attacks. Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesperson for the Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, stated on social media: “Continuing membership in the NPT is pointless. The treaty does not benefit us… It is time to withdraw.”
What is the NPT and What Would Withdrawal Mean?
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which entered into force in 1970, is the cornerstone of global nuclear arms control. It recognizes five nuclear-weapon states (US, Russia, UK, France, China) and obliges non-nuclear states like Iran to forgo weapons development in exchange for the right to peaceful nuclear energy and disarmament progress by the nuclear powers.
Iran signed the NPT in 1968 and has long insisted its program is for civilian energy and medical purposes. Withdrawal requires three months’ notice and a statement citing “extraordinary events” jeopardizing the country’s supreme interests. North Korea is the only country to have withdrawn (in 2003) and subsequently tested nuclear devices.