Iranian hardliners push for nuclear shift amid claims of U.S. base collapses

Iranian hardliners have intensified calls for the Islamic Republic to develop nuclear weapons and withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Figures such as Mohammad Javad Larijani are reportedly urging a pivot in nuclear policy following the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. While no official change to Iran's nuclear doctrine has been confirmed, state-linked media has amplified these demands as a necessary response to U.S. and Israeli military strikes. Simultaneously, Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi has claimed that U.S. forces in the Gulf are "hiding in hotels" within civilian areas, alleging that American military bases are collapsing under the weight of Iranian and proxy strikes. This rhetoric coincides with reports of Iran mobilizing over one million fighters, though no new tactical movements were confirmed in the last 24 hours. The Trump administration's resolve is being met with increasingly aggressive posturing from Tehran, framing the current standoff as an escalating regional conflict. The friction is also impacting international maritime security. India has identified significant operational gaps in the Red Sea due to the lack of a permanent base in Djibouti. As a major chokepoint for energy flows, the Bab el-Mandeb strait remains a high-risk area where the U.S., China, and France maintain facilities, leaving Indian assets with limited rapid-deployment capabilities amidst the ongoing U.S.-Iran spillover risks.