Iran Intends to Withdraw from Nuclear Disarmament Treaty

TEHRAN, MONDAY – The Iranian government announced plans to withdraw from the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT). They stated that Iran has been treated unfairly regarding uranium enrichment, which they assert is solely for peaceful purposes and the welfare of the people.

"We are taking steps that align with the latest developments. The parliament is currently drafting legislation to withdraw Iran from the NPT," said the spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Esmaeil Baghaei in Tehran, Monday (16/6/2025).

Meanwhile, in an interview with Shafaq News, Iranian Member of Parliament Meysam Zahourian explained that the law was drafted based on Article 10 of Iran's NPT Ratification Law. Its content states that Iran can withdraw from the NPT if faced with an emergency situation that threatens national security and interests.

Iran is currently in conflict with Israel. They are exchanging missile fire and deploying unmanned aerial vehicles. Hundreds of civilians in both countries have fallen victim, with the majority being women and children.

"I believe that the ratification session of this draft law will quickly reach the approval of all factions in the DPR," said Zahourian.

The NPT is a document issued by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), one of the agencies under the United Nations. This document has been open for signature since 1970. So far, there are 190 countries in the world that have ratified the NPT, including Iran.

The NPT mandates that nuclear-armed states, namely the United Kingdom, the United States, Russia, China, and France, never use those weapons. They are also prohibited from providing knowledge and skills for the production of nuclear weapons to other countries.

There are only four countries that have never ratified the NPT. They are Israel, India, Pakistan, and South Sudan. India and Pakistan possess nuclear weapons, but both have regulations prohibiting the use of those weapons for offensive purposes.

Israel has never admitted or denied that it is enriching itself, including to weapons-grade levels. The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) estimates that Israel has 90 nuclear warheads. South Sudan, a country that only gained independence in 2011, is still embroiled in a civil war and has not yet focused on foreign policy.

If Iran withdraws from the NPT, it will become the second country to do so. North Korea ratified the NPT in 1985. However, in 2003, it withdrew from the agreement. North Korea is now also conducting nuclear weapon tests.

According to the fatwa of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the nuclear program may only be used to advance the welfare of the nation, including for health technology, agriculture, and renewable energy. Khamenei prohibits the production of nuclear weapons.

Based on that commitment, President of the United States from 2008 to 2016, Barack Obama, established the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Its content stipulates that the U.S. and Western countries are willing to gradually lift economic sanctions on Iran as long as Iran demonstrates its commitment not to develop nuclear weapons.

In the JCPOA, the limit for uranium enrichment that Iran is allowed to conduct is 3.67 percent. This is sufficient to advance the fields of health, energy, and agriculture.

However, Donald Trump, during his presidency in the period of 2017-2021, withdrew the United States from the JCPOA. He did this at the urging of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who convinced Trump that Iran could not be trusted to keep its promises.

The United States' withdrawal from the JCPOA by the IAEA is seen as a trigger for Iran to ramp up uranium enrichment. Recent reports indicate that the enrichment level has reached 60 percent, which is just a step away from reaching 90 percent. This level is necessary for the production of nuclear weapons. The IAEA also stated that Iran possesses several secret nuclear laboratories, one of which is disguised as a carpet factory.

Iran continues to deny the allegations. They claim to adhere to the fatwa of the Ayatollah. Iran also accuses Rafael Grossi, the Director General of the IAEA, of being too close to Israel and abusing his authority to shape IAEA policies in favor of Israel.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia is still offering to assist Iran, one of their close allies. "Russia is willing to store Iran's excess uranium enrichment and convert its nuclear reactor for civilian purposes," he said in Moscow. (AP/Reuters)