Mon Sep 22 13:34:20 UTC 2025: **Iranian Lawmakers Call for Nuclear Weapons Development Amid Rising Tensions**
Tehran, Iran – As the deadline looms for the reimposition of United Nations sanctions, 70 Iranian parliamentarians have signed a letter urging a shift in the nation’s defense doctrine, hinting at a move toward developing nuclear weapons. The letter, addressed to the Supreme National Security Council, argues that while a decades-old fatwa prohibits the *use* of nuclear weapons, it does not explicitly ban their construction as a deterrent.
The push comes amid heightened tensions, exacerbated by recent Israeli attacks on Iranian soil and the subsequent intervention of the United States. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council has already announced a suspension of cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) following actions by European powers (France, Germany, and the United Kingdom) to reinstate international sanctions lifted as part of the 2015 nuclear deal.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has been in negotiations with European powers to avert the reinstatement of sanctions and offered a plan to recover and dilute enriched uranium in exchange for the deferral of the sanctions.
Meanwhile, Iran is strengthening ties with Russia and China. A deal to have Russia build eight nuclear power plants in Iran, in addition to other investments that can help manage the effects of reinstated sanctions. Iran continues to emphasize that Israel poses a threat to regional stability, particularly after its attacks on Qatar. Top Iranian military commanders have issued statements of defiance against Israel and the United States.
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