Iran Assembly of Experts Calls NPT Withdrawal Review Unavoidable
Iran’s Assembly of Experts said Thursday that reviewing withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, revising the defense doctrine and building “the necessary deterrence” had become an “unavoidable necessity” and a “national demand.”
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The 10-point statement, dated 21 Aban 1405 and published by IRIB and ISNA, stopped short of announcing a withdrawal. It asked “esteemed officials,” guided by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, to take up what it called a public demand.
The body, which elected Khamenei on March 8 after Ali Khamenei was killed in the Feb. 28 U.S.-Israeli strikes, said repeated threats by the “aggressor enemy,” especially against Iran’s nuclear knowledge, showed that “there can be no hope in the international bodies responsible for this matter.”
“Therefore, the review of the issue of withdrawal from the NPT, a revision of the country’s defense doctrine, and the creation of the necessary deterrence have become an unavoidable necessity and have turned into a public and national demand,” the statement said.
Statement Stops Short of Withdrawal
Iran remains a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which it signed in 1968 and ratified in 1970. Leaving under Article X requires three months’ notice. No such notice has been given.
The statement also warned that any new attack would meet an “immediate and effective” response “without geographic limits,” language it attributed to Mojtaba Khamenei. It accused the “enemy” of an attempted air and land blockade and called for a “war economy headquarters” under the Leader’s oversight.
Lawmakers Already Drafted Exit Bills
In September, lawmaker Hossein-Ali Haji Deligani said a triple-urgency withdrawal bill had gone to parliament’s presiding board, after about 130 lawmakers urged an exit under Article X.
On Oct. 30, presiding board member Alireza Salimi said a bill had been drafted. Ayatollah Mohsen Araki, a member of the Assembly of Experts’ own presidium, called on Nov. 1 for officials to reconsider NPT membership.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi told the U.N. Security Council on Oct. 27 that the agency has had no access to key Iranian facilities since the June 2025 war. Before those strikes it estimated Iran held about 440 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60%.
Friday prayer leaders and lawmakers have also described a doctrine review as a national demand.
Officials Have Not Changed Doctrine
Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei said on Oct. 31 that no new decision had been made on changing Iran’s nuclear doctrine. A day later he warned that continued NPT membership was “not guaranteed if further wars break out.”
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Nov. 2 that Iran remained an NPT member and considered itself bound by the treaty. Officials still cite Ali Khamenei’s fatwa barring nuclear weapons. Mojtaba Khamenei has not issued a public ruling that replaces it.
The Assembly of Experts cannot itself take Iran out of the NPT. Any withdrawal would still require a decision by the country’s leadership.
Kamer Kurunç
Kamer Kurunç is the Team Leader of Clash Report and has led the outlet for four years. He oversees its breaking world news coverage, from the Middle East and the Russia-Ukraine war to defense and global politics. His focus is fast, verified, source-based reporting. Follow him on X at @kamerknc.
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