Iranian officials split over whether to quit the nuclear non-proliferation treaty

Pressure is mounting in Iran for a formal exit from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty after the International Atomic Energy Agency prevented its director, Mohammad Eslami, from attending the agency’s annual meeting in Vienna. The move prompted Austria to seek a UN exemption, which the sanctions committee denied following U.S. opposition. Inside Tehran, senior figures such as Mohsen Rezaei argue the IAEA’s actions will push countries to abandon the treaty, while others like Masoud Pezeshkian stress that Iran has no nuclear weapons ambition and would not have joined the NPT otherwise.

Lawmakers have drafted three urgent bills to trigger a parliamentary vote on withdrawal, though the proposals have not yet reached the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee. Critics warn that leaving the treaty could erode Iran’s diplomatic protections and invite greater pressure without delivering security benefits.