Iran Threatens NPT Withdrawal Following Strikes on Nuclear Facilities

The Iranian government has announced a formal review of its participation in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) following recent military strikes against its nuclear infrastructure. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei signaled on March 30 that Tehran is questioning the treaty’s utility, characterizing the current international pressure as "bullying." This internal shift follows the March 28 death of Ali Fouladvand, a high-ranking nuclear researcher at the Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND), who was killed in an Israeli airstrike. The escalations have severely strained relations with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Tehran has criticized Director General Rafael Grossi for his refusal to condemn the strikes, arguing that the agency’s rhetoric "complicates the situation" rather than protecting member states. Under the leadership of Mojtaba Khamenei, internal regime discourse has reportedly shifted toward favoring the active development of nuclear weapons as a deterrent, moving away from previous diplomatic frameworks. The potential collapse of Iran’s NPT commitments has raised alarms regarding a regional "proliferation cascade." Saudi Arabian officials have reiterated that any move by Iran to secure a nuclear weapon would compel the Kingdom to follow suit. With intelligence assessments indicating Iran could reach weapons-grade enrichment within days, and the expiration of other global arms control treaties like New START, experts warn that the international non-proliferation regime is facing its most significant challenge in decades.