Iran’s Supreme Leader, Kamal Kharrazi, issued a stern warning to Israel regarding potential changes to Iran’s nuclear policy.
Kharrazi, advising Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, suggested that Iran could revise its nuclear doctrine if it feels threatened by Israel. “We have no decision to build a nuclear bomb, but should Iran’s existence be threatened, there will be no choice but to change our military doctrine,” Kharrazi stated.
The conflict escalated when Iran retaliated against Israel with drones and missiles following an attack on Iran’s embassy in Damascus earlier in April.
Despite Ayatollah Khamenei’s prohibition against nuclear arms, pressures from Western nations in 2021 led Iran’s then-intelligence minister to hint at a possible reassessment of Iran’s nuclear stance.
“In the case of an attack on our nuclear facilities by the Zionist regime, our deterrence will change,” Kharrazi further emphasized.
Dialogue with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been ongoing, albeit with limited progress. Positive discussions have been reported, yet substantive advancements are lacking. IAEA head Rafael Grossi voiced frustration over Iran’s limited cooperation, stressing the need for actionable steps to address global concerns about Iran’s nuclear activities.
Last year, Iran pledged to help probe unreported uranium particles and to reinstall monitoring equipment. Nonetheless, IAEA assessments show these promises have yielded little progress.
“The present state is completely unsatisfactory for me. We are almost at an impasse, and this needs to be changed,” Grossi remarked, as reported by AFP.
During discussions, Grossi and Iranian officials recognized the 2023 agreement as a basis for future cooperation, though its implementation has been sluggish. Moreover, Iran expressed concerns over perceived hostile interventions by Israel.
