Iran MPs debate possible shift in nuclear doctrine and exit from NPT

Iranian lawmakers are publicly debating whether the country should revise its nuclear doctrine, with some also raising the possibility of leaving the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The discussion comes amid heightened tensions after the war involving the United States and Israel, which Iranian officials and lawmakers say has sharpened concerns about deterrence. The debate is taking place in parliament and in wider political circles, according to the supplied report.

Kamran Ghazanfari, a member of Iran's parliament, said building nuclear weapons was more important than what he described as US and Israeli propaganda against the Islamic Republic. He argued that threats from Washington and what he called the Zionist regime meant Iran could not remain indifferent, saying the issue affected the security of the Iranian people and the country's survival. Ghazanfari called for a review of the Islamic Republic's nuclear doctrine so that any potential attacker would face what he described as a reciprocal response.

He also said Iran should create deterrent power, pointing to the experience of nuclear-armed states since the Second World War. In his view, the absence of nuclear submarines and bombers would not prevent Iran from developing deterrence, because missiles could also be used to carry nuclear warheads. A former Iranian lawmaker, Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh, offered a different assessment, saying nuclear deterrence would not be achieved simply by having an atomic bomb.

The debate matters because it touches on one of the most sensitive issues in global security: whether Iran could move closer to a nuclear weapons posture or reconsider the treaty framework that has governed its programme. Any discussion of leaving the NPT would carry major legal and diplomatic consequences, given the treaty's role in limiting the spread of nuclear weapons. It would also deepen concern among regional and international actors already focused on Iran's nuclear activities.

The supplied report presents the argument as part of a broader reaction to the recent conflict and to threats attributed by Iranian lawmakers to the United States and Israel. Ghazanfari framed the issue as one of deterrence, while Falahatpisheh questioned whether nuclear weapons alone could provide it. That contrast suggests the debate is not only about military capability but also about strategy, doctrine and the political costs of any shift.

What remains unclear is whether Iran's leadership is considering any formal change to policy or whether the discussion is still limited to political rhetoric. The report does not confirm any decision to leave the NPT or to alter the country's nuclear doctrine. The next developments to watch are whether senior officials respond, whether parliament advances the debate, and whether the discussion translates into any formal policy proposal.

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