Iran is threatening to withdraw from the treaty against nuclear weapons. Parliament announced on Monday that it is preparing a bill to leave the so-called Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
The treaty is intended to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. A spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Iran no longer wants to be part of that treaty.
The threat seems to contradict previous claims by Iran. Earlier on Monday, President Masoud Pezeshkian denied that his country wants to make nuclear weapons. “Tehran is against the development of weapons of mass destruction,” he said. He emphasized that Iran has the right to continue research into nuclear energy. With his statements, he repeated those of Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Whether Iran will actually leave the treaty is not yet known. The bill must first be finalized and approved. What the consequences would be is not clear.
The threat comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and Israel. According to Israel, Iran is working on a nuclear program and the development of nuclear weapons. In order to thwart those plans, Israel carried out Operation Rising Lion on Friday. Hundreds of targets were attacked simultaneously. An important part of the army leadership and several nuclear scientists were killed.
Iran would now have almost enough uranium to produce nuclear weapons. Israel and other Western countries see this as a threat. US President Donald Trump therefore tried to strike a deal on the nuclear program, but has not succeeded to date.