Iranian lawmakers push to leave nuclear non-proliferation treaty

Several Iranian politicians have urged their government to pull out of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and reconsider its strategic doctrine on atomic arms. The domestic push comes amid ongoing conflict with the United States and Israel and coincides with attempts by Qatari intermediaries to facilitate diplomatic discussions in Tehran.

Lawmaker Mahmoud Nabavian publicly argued that the toll of international sanctions and war justified abandoning the global pact and modifying national policy on nuclear arms. In Iran's parliament, Ebrahim Rezaei of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee confirmed that 10 separate proposals to leave the treaty have been submitted for consideration, according to the Fars news agency. Prominent scholar Mohammad Javad Haj Ali Akbari also characterized reassessing the nuclear doctrine as a broad national demand, pointing to broken commitments by the US.

The political pressure follows rising tension between Tehran and the International Atomic Energy Agency. The United Nations nuclear watchdog issued a resolution expressing concern over Iranian compliance, which Tehran rejected as biased. IAEA inspectors have lacked access to major facilities such as Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan since military strikes hit the sites in mid-2025.

Ratified by Iran in 1970, the non-proliferation agreement permits member states to exit after providing three months of advance notice if exceptional circumstances threaten essential national interests. Although hardline political groups like the Paydari Front have supported an exit, top government leaders have not formally endorsed the legislative proposals. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has previously emphasized that state policy continues to follow a longstanding religious decree from Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei forbidding the development of weapons of mass destruction. Analysts also note that leaving the treaty would not automatically trigger the construction of an atomic warhead.

Diplomatic progress remains stalled by steep preconditions on both sides. Washington has insisted that preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear arms is a mandatory requirement for ending the war. Meanwhile, Tehran demands the termination of the naval blockade around the Strait of Hormuz, the removal of economic sanctions, and firm pledges against future military action before it agrees to fresh negotiations.

The conflict has severely disrupted international trade and energy distribution over the past nine months. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded forcefully to statements by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz regarding the war's financial toll on Europe, warning that any further escalation would prompt severe retaliation from Iranian armed forces.