Zarif’s plan outlines a framework in which countries committing to forgo nuclear weapons could access shared benefits of nuclear science—ranging from energy and agriculture to medicine and research. Menara would create a cooperative regional mechanism for mutual inspection and technical exchange, helping to reframe the nuclear debate from threat perception to scientific opportunity.

He emphasized that nuclear technology could address pressing regional challenges such as climate change, food insecurity, and energy transition. “Nuclear science also offers solutions – to climate change, water scarcity, food security, and energy diversification,” Zarif wrote.

Proposal Amid Heightened Nuclear Tensions

The initiative comes at a time of escalating pressure on Tehran. A recent 12-day bombing campaign by the U.S. and Israel targeted Iranian nuclear sites, after which Iran suspended negotiations with Washington. Talks with Britain, France, and Germany—the E3 signatories to the 2015 nuclear agreement—are still ongoing, but Europe has threatened to reimpose UN sanctions if Iran fails to allow IAEA inspections.

Critics may view Zarif’s proposal as a strategic distraction or a response to Israel’s undeclared nuclear arsenal. Still, it marks Iran’s most constructive public offer in recent years and signals a willingness to shift the regional narrative on nuclear energy from confrontation to collaboration.