Iranian lawmakers debate withdrawing from nuclear non-proliferation treaty amid US pressure

Lawmakers in Iran have again floated the idea of pulling out of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, with MP Ghasem Ravanbakhsh confirming a formal proposal and National Security and Foreign Policy Commission member Ebrahim Rezaei calling withdrawal the optimal response to intensified U.S. economic pressure. The suggestion is not new, but its timing follows stalled enrichment talks and a July 2025 law suspending IAEA access.

Nuclear specialists such as former IAEA consultant Behrooz Bayat argue that the threat serves diplomatic leverage more than an actual policy, warning that a real exit would likely be read as a step toward weapons development and could trigger heightened sanctions or military action. Analyst Shahin Modarres points out that staying in the NPT while curbing inspections lets Tehran preserve strategic uncertainty. Domestic consensus remains lacking, with commentator Rahman Ghahremanpour noting legal and political hurdles and suggesting the debate is aimed at pressuring Washington and European capitals. Any formal withdrawal would require a three-month notice under Article X, giving adversaries time to reassess Tehran’s intentions.