Iranian Parliament Reviews Plan to Withdraw from Nuclear Treaty

The Iranian Parliament is reviewing a triple-urgency three-point plan to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), an agreement the country has maintained since 1970. First Deputy Speaker Ali Nikzad stated that lawmakers lack trust in the International Atomic Energy Agency and its Director General, Rafael Grossi, alleging that the agency conducts superficial inspections and leaks sensitive data to Israel.

Internal disagreement exists regarding the proposal's viability. Mohammad Mehdi Shahriari, a member of the National Security Committee, argued that the bill is unlikely to pass because withdrawing during wartime would signal an intent to pursue nuclear weapons and increase escalation costs.

While the legislative review continues, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi defended Iran's 60% uranium enrichment as legal and intended for peaceful purposes. Araghchi simultaneously criticized bombing campaigns conducted by the United States and Israel.