{"id":343926,"date":"2026-03-31T07:46:50","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T06:46:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=343926"},"modified":"2026-03-31T07:46:50","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T06:46:50","slug":"nuclear-blackmail-and-domestic-terror-a-regime-in-its-death-throes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/human-rights\/nuclear-blackmail-and-domestic-terror-a-regime-in-its-death-throes\/","title":{"rendered":"Nuclear Blackmail and Domestic Terror: A Regime in its Death Throes"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Bushehr
Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in southern Iran<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Three-minute read<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The clerical regime, currently ensnared in an existential crisis of its own making, has pivoted toward a dangerous policy of double escalation. By ramping up nuclear blackmail on the international stage and intensifying a reign of terror against its own citizens, the ruling establishment is attempting to bridge the gap between its waning legitimacy and its crumbling grip on power. This desperate survival strategy, however, comes at an increasingly unbearable cost\u2014not only for an Iranian society pushed to its breaking point but for the stability and security of the entire international community.<\/p>\n

Crippled by the ongoing war and reeling from the <\/span>unprecedented social hatred<\/span> following its bloody suppression of the <\/span>January 2026 uprising<\/span>, the regime is resorting to its usual desperate tactic: nuclear extortion<\/span>. A “three-urgency” bill<\/a> aimed at withdrawing from the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) has been uploaded to the Majlis system under the guise of “protecting nuclear rights”<\/span>. This move is a transparent attempt by a <\/span>weakened establishment<\/span> to create leverage while its military infrastructure crumbles under international strikes and its demoralized base fears another major uprising.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The legislation, championed by MP Malek Shariati, calls for a full exit from the NPT and the termination of all reciprocal actions related to the JCPOA<\/span>. Shariati further claims the regime will seek new nuclear alliances with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS<\/span>. These threats, however, emanate from a <\/span>ghost parliament<\/span>; the Majlis has not held a single session since the strikes began on February 28, 2026, remaining shuttered under the excuse of “war conditions” and holidays<\/span>.<\/p>\n

This cycle of <\/span>nuclear blackmail<\/span> has long been the regime’s primary survival mechanism during times of existential crisis<\/span>. While state-run media outlets like Tasnim News echo<\/a> the calls for withdrawal by claiming NPT membership facilitates “espionage,” the reality is a regime backed into a corner<\/span>. Even as Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei questions the “utility” of the treaty, he continues the tired deception that Tehran has never sought nuclear weapons<\/span>.<\/p>\n

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Wary of facing pushback from its warmongering in the #MiddleEastConflict<\/a>, #Iran<\/a>'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<\/a><\/p>\n

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) April 9, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n