Tehran: The Iranian parliament is preparing legislation that could see the country withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in response to the reinstatement of UN sanctions. Ebrahim Resaei, the spokesman for parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, announced that the legislative body has settled on a draft legislative text, as reported by the Tasnim news agency.
According to Ghana News Agency, the parliamentary move comes after Israeli and US attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities in June, and the reactivation of UN sanctions over the weekend. Resaei stated, "Under these circumstances, the parliament sees no reason for Iran to remain an NPT member." However, he noted that the draft legislation is not yet on the parliament's official agenda.
Under Iran's constitution, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei holds the final authority on strategic matters, and his approval would be necessary for any withdrawal to proceed. The parliament is dominated by hardliners who have criticized President Masoud Pezeshkian's diplomatic efforts with Western powers.
Despite the reimposition of UN sanctions, President Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi continue to seek a diplomatic resolution and oppose exiting the non-proliferation treaty. However, hardliners doubt the effectiveness of further diplomacy, with some accusing Pezeshkian of failure and calling for his resignation.
Iran has previously threatened to leave the NPT, which bars non-nuclear-armed states from acquiring nuclear weapons. The sanctions were reinstated after Germany, France, and Britain accused Iran of enriching uranium beyond levels required for civilian purposes. These three countries were signatories to the landmark 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran.
