New Delhi: Even as US President Donald Trump has been pushing Iran to strike a nuclear deal, the Iranian Foreign ministry on Monday said that the country’s parliament is preparing a bill to leave the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
The NPT is an international agreement aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and related technologies, promoting cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and advancing the goal of nuclear disarmament and complete global disarmament.
Iran is already considered to be close to developing a nuclear bomb, and Israel cited that as a reason to attack Tehran four days ago. Calling it a preventive strike, the Israeli government has suggested that it aims to “decapitate” Iran’s nuclear programme.
Hence, Iran’s latest move will set alarm bells ringing, especially as it comes amidst a rapidly escalating military conflict with Israel.
Will quitting the nuclear NPT give Iran the freedom to finally make weapons of mass destruction without thinking what the world says?
The Foreign ministry clarified that Tehran remains opposed to the development of WMD, reiterating Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s religious edict against such weapons.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian had also stated earlier that Iran did not intend to develop nuclear weapons but will pursue its right to nuclear energy and research.
IAEA declares Iran in breach
Despite Iran’s assertions, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently declared Iran had breached its non-proliferation obligations for the first time in 20 years.
Nineteen of the 35 countries on the board of the global nuclear watchdog – including the US, UK, France and Germany — voted for the motion.
The IAEA pointed out that Iran’s “many failures” to provide full answers about its undeclared nuclear material and activities constitutes non-compliance. The IAEA also expressed concern about Iran’s large stockpile of enriched uranium, which can be used to make reactor fuel and also nuclear weapons.
List of nuclear nations
Nine countries are understood to possess nuclear weapons, of which five are considered to be nuclear-weapon states (NWS) under the terms of NPT. These nations are the US, Russia (formerly Soviet Union), the UK, France and China.
Other nations which have declared possession of nuclear weapons are India, Pakistan and North Korea. Of these three, North Korea withdrew from the NPT in 2003.
The ninth sovereign state which is understood to have nuclear weapons is Israel, though there has been no formal acknowledgment as it has maintained a policy of ambiguity.
