Iran Reaffirms Nuclear Treaty Commitments As Hardliners Push For Atomic Bomb

Iran has reaffirmed its commitment to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), even as hardline political and military figures call for the country to reconsider its nuclear doctrine and pursue an atomic bomb following US and Israeli attacks on its nuclear facilities. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday, November 9, that Tehran had not suspended its treaty commitments, although its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) remained restricted.

The statement comes amid renewed diplomatic efforts to end the conflict with the United States and growing domestic pressure to abandon restrictions on Iran's nuclear programme. Baghaei confirmed that IAEA inspectors had recently visited the Bushehr nuclear power plant, the only Iranian nuclear facility currently accessible to the agency. However, inspections of other sensitive sites, including Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan, remain uncertain.

Iran's position reflects an increasingly complicated balance between maintaining its international treaty obligations, protecting its nuclear infrastructure and responding to demands from hardliners who argue that possessing nuclear weapons would strengthen the country's deterrence against future attacks.

Iran Says Nuclear Treaty Commitments Remain In Place

Speaking at a news conference in Tehran, Baghaei said attacks by the United States and Israel on Iranian nuclear facilities had created difficulties in implementing safeguards commitments. He argued that Tehran could not be expected to cooperate with the IAEA under normal circumstances while its facilities remained vulnerable to further military action. He also criticised agency director Rafael Grossi.

IAEA chief Grossi told the United Nations Security Council in late October that the agency could not verify Iran's nuclear material because Tehran had not provided the requested information and access. The recent inspection at Bushehr represents a limited opening, rather than a restoration of the agency's wider monitoring activities.

Under the NPT, Iran is recognised as having the right to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, but it is prohibited from acquiring nuclear weapons and is required to accept safeguards monitoring. Withdrawal from the treaty requires a formal notification citing extraordinary events that have jeopardised a country's supreme interests.

Hardliners Demand Change In Iran's Nuclear Doctrine

The government's position contrasts with increasingly vocal calls among hardliners to withdraw from the NPT and develop nuclear weapons. Several Iranian lawmakers and political figures have argued that US and Israeli military strikes demonstrate the limitations of relying on international agreements and diplomatic assurances for national security.

Iran's security chief Mohsen Rezaei said on October 31 that no decision had been taken by the government or the broader establishment to change the country's nuclear doctrine. However, he acknowledged that attacks on nuclear facilities had prompted debate over whether Tehran should continue its existing policy if hostilities resume.

Some lawmakers have gone further. Ahmad Bakhshayesh, a member of parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, argued that if Iran decided to change its nuclear doctrine, it should first build a bomb and then withdraw from the NPT. Meanwhile, Hossein Mohebbi, spokesperson for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said the organisation would make the necessary preparations if the country decided to change its nuclear policy.

Regional mediators, including Qatar and Pakistan, continue to facilitate communication between Tehran and Washington. Iran has indicated that it may accept limits on uranium enrichment under an agreement but has ruled out abandoning enrichment altogether. Analysts say restoring meaningful international inspections will require broader negotiations involving enrichment, uranium stockpiles and sanctions relief.