Iran21 September, 20263 min read
Iranian Lawmakers Submit Bill To Withdraw From Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
Iranian lawmakers submitted a three-article, triple-urgency bill to withdraw from the NPT. Bill submitted to Parliament's presiding board; ready to be discussed in an open session.
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Withdrawal Bill in Parliament
Iranian lawmakers submitted a bill with triple urgency to the parliament’s Presiding Board seeking the country’s withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, state broadcaster Press TV reported.
Lawmaker Hossein-Ali Haji Deligani told an open parliamentary session on Sunday that the bill had already been submitted to the Presiding Board and was ready to be presented to an open session, requiring approval from parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf to proceed to debate.
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Deligani argued that “remaining in the NPT brings us nothing but losses,” and he said the recent referral of Iran’s case by the IAEA Board of Governors to the U.N. Security Council over alleged non-compliance made further costs avoidable.
Deligani added, “It seems that we may need to withdraw from the NPT so that we can manage our own affairs ourselves,” as the NPT’s 1970 entry into force and Iran’s status as an NPT non-nuclear-weapon state party were cited in the same parliamentary account.
Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, told Al Jazeera Saturday that Iran’s nuclear doctrine had not changed, but he confirmed the country was considering withdrawal from the NPT, saying, “This depends on America's conduct.”
IAEA Referral and Competing Views
The push for withdrawal came after the U.S. and allied European countries pushed through a resolution by the 35-member IAEA Board of Governors referring Iran’s case to the U.N. Security Council, while Russia and China opposed action over the IAEA’s claims.
Mohsen Rezaei warned that withdrawal remained possible in response to military and political threats from the U.S. and Israel, and he framed the decision as contingent on Washington’s conduct.
Ebrahim Azizi, a senior MP speaking to Mehr, said, “Legislative proposals titled "Plan for Withdrawal from the NPT"—backed by the signatures of numerous MPs—have been drafted and submitted,” while he stressed that withdrawing required coordination and a unified decision within the Islamic Establishment.
Azizi also criticized the IAEA, saying, “Today, the IAEA no longer fulfills the role of a technical and professional organization,” and he described it as turned into an instrument of dominance and projection of power.
In a separate parliamentary account carried by خبرآنلاین, Mohammad Saraaj said, “My personal view is that our withdrawal from the NPT would be advantageous to us when we are pursuing a nuclear weapons capability,” and he added, “If we want to withdraw from the NPT, we will lose our friends.”
No Final Decision, Diplomatic Stakes
Ahmad Bakhshaye Ardestani, a member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, told Tabnak cited from Avas that, “For now, we are not exiting the NPT,” and he linked the stance to Russia and China’s stated support in the Security Council. Ardestani also said that announcing withdrawal without necessary conditions could create greater costs, and he warned that such an announcement could affect the positions of countries like Russia and China. In the same broader debate, Hossein Ali Hajideligani’s statements were described as presenting a three-furti plan to withdraw from the NPT to the parliament’s Board, with the plan awaiting the Speaker’s permit to be placed on the public session agenda.
خبرگزاری مهر carried a parliamentary framing that the option of leaving the NPT was on the table, while Ibrahim Azizi said plans existed in Parliament but that turning them into an official decision required “cooperation, coordination, and reaching a unified decision.” Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament argued that the Iranian parliament’s vote to withdraw would be “a significant setback for nuclear non-proliferation in the region,” and it said Britain had expanded sanctions again against Iran, imposing “new financial, trade and transport restrictions.”