An influential Iranian politician has called on Tehran to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) after the bombing of nuclear facilities by Israel and the United States, DPA reported, BTA reported.
Aladdin Boroujerdi, a hardline foreign policy MP, said in an interview with Iranian state television that parliament is discussing a possible withdrawal from the treaty. He stressed that as a party to international agreements, Iran allows monitoring of its nuclear activities and has assured that it does not seek to develop nuclear weapons. However, he said these commitments did not mean the country would "agree to the most stringent inspections without receiving any support".
Boroujerdi also criticized Rafael Grossi and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), saying that some of the inspections were perceived as a cover for espionage. "In my opinion, it is time to withdraw from the NPT," he added.
The treaty prohibits non-nuclear states from acquiring nuclear weapons. Iran has previously threatened to withdraw from it. The final decision will likely not be made by parliament, but by Iran's Supreme National Security Council or the country's supreme leader, DPA notes.
Meanwhile, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said that Tehran continues to abide by the treaty as long as it is a member, but questioned its usefulness in the context of military operations. The spokesman also stressed that the country's rights have been violated.