Support for Iran acquiring nuclear weapons has grown among some religious figures, political figures and experts following military strikes by the United States and Israel against the country.
The issue, which was previously on the margins of political debate, has increasingly become a subject of public and political discussion in Iran.
The New York Times reported on Wednesday, 4 November, that some Iranian clerics and officials were calling for the country to abandon its longstanding commitment not to develop nuclear weapons.
The report said that, alongside these calls, Iran’s leaders were also pursuing diplomatic efforts to prevent a new war with the United States and Israel.
Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said officials were discussing whether to maintain or change the country’s nuclear doctrine in the event of another war. He said no new decision had yet been made.
According to the report, some political figures have also called for Iran to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
However, some officials and political figures, including President Masoud Pezeshkian and former president Hassan Rouhani, continue to support maintaining the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear programme.
Some former diplomats have also warned that moving towards the development of nuclear weapons could increase the risk of further military strikes against Iran.
The growing support for acquiring nuclear weapons does not amount to an official decision by Tehran to develop a bomb, nor does it establish that a majority of Iranians back such a move.
