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The clerical regime in Iran, frustrated by a series of military setbacks and the failure of its diplomatic efforts, combined with the waning influence of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s calls for Islamic unity against the “common enemy of the Islamic Ummah,” has now turned to nuclear threats. However, this narrative serves as a smokescreen for the regime’s longstanding strategy of using nuclear threats to extract concessions from the West, a tactic it has honed over decades.
On October 8, in an article titled “Rising Call for Nukes,” the Tehran Times quotes a young Iranian frustrated with the regime’s ongoing suffering under sanctions, saying, “I don’t understand why we haven’t just developed nuclear weapons, since we’ve already paid the price for it anyway.” This carefully curated narrative aims to depict the regime’s nuclear ambitions as a reluctant but necessary response to external threats like Israel, sidestepping Iran’s own regional aggression and internal failures.
Today, Hassanali Akhlaqi, a member of the regime’s parliament, revealed in an interview that “the Supreme Leader’s fatwa [concerning nuclear weapons] remains in place, but in Shia jurisprudence, time and circumstances can lead to changes in rulings, allowing secondary rulings to replace primary ones.” Ekhlaqi also noted that 39 parliament members had signed a letter urging the Supreme National Security Council to “review and update the country’s defense strategy accordingly.”
In light of @iaeaorg BoG resolution on the #Iranian regime's misconduct and failure to cooperate with the @UN watchdog, it's crucial to revisit over 3 decades of secretive activities and the NCRI's constant efforts to prevent a nuclear-armed pariah state.https://t.co/EiJenAsaiU https://t.co/lvD6qbumiY pic.twitter.com/qcXZLwOPO7
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) June 5, 2024
Also today, MP Mohammad Reza Sbaghian Bafqi told the state-run Dideban Iran, “We will request the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution to reconsider the strategy and fatwa against nuclear weapon development if deemed appropriate. Building a nuclear weapon would be easy for us. Given the current circumstances, having the capability to develop nuclear weapons is essential for deterrence and ensuring national security.”
Despite Tehran’s long history of nuclear deception and its cat-and-mouse tactics with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Western leaders continue to assert that Iran hasn’t yet decided to build a nuclear bomb. CIA Director William Burns reiterated this sentiment on October 8, stating, “We do not see evidence today that the supreme leader has reversed the decision that he took at the end of 2003 to suspend the weaponization program.” Burns also noted that Iran is “in a much closer position” to producing enough enriched uranium for a bomb but assured that the U.S. would be able to detect such a decision “relatively early on.”
This refrain from the West—asserting that the clerical regime hasn’t made the decision to go nuclear—has been repeated for decades, despite mounting evidence of Tehran’s duplicity. Since 2003, the regime has used its nuclear program to extract concessions from the West, all while continuing to enrich uranium and develop missile technology. Tehran’s claims of pursuing a “peaceful nuclear program” have long been a cover for its ambitions, a fact repeatedly exposed by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). Yet, time and again, Western negotiators have fallen for Tehran’s promises, most notably with the so-called 2015 nuclear deal, which collapsed when the U.S. withdrew in 2018.
Wary of facing pushback from its warmongering in the #MiddleEastConflict, #Iran's regime has sent another official to play the nuclear extortion card, hinting that its Supreme Leader may reconsider his fatwa and pursue nuclear weapon production. pic.twitter.com/NR14AOpObd
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) April 9, 2024
Iranian officials, meanwhile, are growing more brazen in their nuclear threats. Fereydoon Abbasi, a member of the regime’s parliament, declared on May 15 that while Iran “does not believe in weapons of mass destruction,” the regime has the technological capability to build them. He added, “Our opponents have known for years that we have the capability to produce materials and are technologically advanced.” This echoes earlier statements from other Iranian officials, including Kamal Kharrazi, a senior advisor to Khamenei, who has repeatedly hinted at a shift in the regime’s nuclear doctrine.
Ahmad Bakhshayesh, a former MP, also stated in May that he believes “Iran may already have nuclear weapons but has chosen not to announce it publicly.”
Whether attacked by Israel or not, decades of duplicity and concealing show the Iranian regime remains committed to acquiring nuclear weapons, viewing them as essential to its survival and deterrence doctrine. While concessions have proven ineffective, decisive action is now imperative. The regime’s current stance is the product of over two decades of appeasement. It is crucial to fully activate the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231 snapback mechanism and enforce all other UN resolutions to compel Tehran’s compliance. Only firm, united action can prevent the regime from realizing its nuclear ambitions.