More officials in Iran support revising nuclear doctrine — Jerusalem Post

In Iran, an increasing number of clerics and officials are calling on the country's leadership to reconsider its commitment not to seek the creation of nuclear weapons. The Jerusalem Post reported this, citing The New York Times.

Debate over nuclear doctrine

Over the past decades, Iranian officials have publicly referred to a fatwa by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that prohibits the development and use of nuclear weapons. At the same time, U.S. and Israeli intelligence services reported signs that Iran was enriching uranium to levels close to those needed to create nuclear weapons.

According to regional analysts cited by the NYT, Khamenei sought to maintain ambiguity over Tehran's nuclear intentions in order to deter possible attacks without actually creating a bomb. According to the NYT, after the 12-day war in 2025 and another war in 2026, support for the idea of possessing nuclear weapons has increased in Iran.

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Calls to withdraw from the NPT

Politicians have also begun advocating for Iran's withdrawal from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said on Saturday that the country's leadership was discussing the nuclear issue, but had not yet made a new decision.

Tehran-based foreign policy expert Mohammad Ghaderi told the NYT that the idea of withdrawing from the treaty, which had previously been a minority position, had now become dominant. Analyst Mohammad Ali Shabani noted that the religious taboo on discussing nuclear weapons had disappeared, although it remains unclear whether this will lead to a strategic or political change.

Supporters of a peaceful program

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and former President Hassan Rouhani, according to the NYT, continue to support a peaceful nuclear doctrine. Former diplomat Kourosh Ahmadi warned in the reformist outlet Shargh that rhetoric supporting nuclear weapons complicates the work of officials trying to prevent a new war, while an attempt to create a bomb could increase the risk of an attack.