Iran’s NPT withdrawal moves onto parliament’s agenda
Iran’s parliament is preparing to consider nine bills concerning the country’s possible withdrawal from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), amid allegations that information collected during international nuclear inspections has been used to identify potential military targets.
Mojtaba Zolnouri, an MP representing Qom, announced the development in an interview with Mehr News Agency. According to the report published on 9 November, the proposals have been placed on the agenda of the Majlis, Iran’s parliament.
The issue goes beyond amendments to existing legislation or the suspension of individual treaty provisions. Lawmakers must decide whether Iran should continue participating in the international nuclear non-proliferation framework.
“The Majlis must carefully examine this issue and decide whether Iran should continue its participation in this treaty,” Zolnouri said.
The MP accused the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of failing to protect sensitive information obtained during inspections of Iranian nuclear facilities.
According to Zolnouri, information about the country’s nuclear centres has been misused, while IAEA inspectors have effectively become instruments for identifying potential targets for attacks.
These are allegations made by the Iranian parliamentarian, rather than independently established findings about the agency’s conduct. Zolnouri also argued that Tehran was meeting its treaty obligations without receiving the benefits guaranteed to participating states.
“It is impossible not to agree that Iran is fulfilling its obligations under the document but is not enjoying the rights provided for in it.”
The dispute centres on two provisions of the NPT. Article IV recognises the right of participating states to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, while Article III establishes safeguards administered by the IAEA.
Since 2018, when the United States withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and reimposed sanctions, Iran has maintained that it continues to fulfil its obligations without receiving the corresponding benefits.
Earlier NPT withdrawal proposal faced opposition in September
The debate over Iran’s NPT withdrawal had already intensified in September 2026. Hossein Ali Haji Deligani, another Iranian MP, submitted an urgent proposal calling for the country to leave the treaty. The initiative was supported by a group of lawmakers who argued that the time had come for Iran to withdraw.
As Tasnim News Agency reported on 20 September, the proposal had been submitted to the parliamentary presidium but still required approval before it could be debated in an open session.
The initiative also encountered opposition within the Iranian parliament itself. Mohammad Mehdi Shahriari, a member of the Majlis National Security Committee, warned that leaving the treaty would be tantamount to developing nuclear weapons.
He also questioned whether the proposal could secure sufficient parliamentary support, estimating that it might receive no more than approximately 70 votes.
His assessment was reported by Iran International on 27 September. With 290 seats in the Majlis, 70 votes would fall well short of the majority needed to approve the measure.
In September, the proposal was therefore an initiative promoted by a group of deputies rather than a decision adopted by parliament. The latest announcement marks a further procedural development. Nine proposals are now reportedly on the parliamentary agenda, which is controlled by the Majlis presidium.
However, inclusion on the agenda does not mean that lawmakers have approved withdrawal or that a vote has been scheduled.
Zolnouri accuses Washington of decades of confrontation
In his interview, Zolnouri also criticised the United States, presenting the nuclear dispute as part of a much longer confrontation between Washington and Tehran.
“Economic sanctions, the imposed eight-year war, support for counter-revolutionary groups, political and propaganda measures, psychological warfare and the organisation of internal unrest, all these are areas of confrontation between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he said.
The MP also referred to the unrest of December 2025, alleging that religious sites had suffered extensive damage during the disturbances.
“According to the announced statistics, more than 3,000 mosques, hosseiniyehs and imamzadeh shrines were attacked during these events, and 135 mosques were set on fire in different parts of the country in a single night.”
The figures were presented by Zolnouri and have not been independently confirmed in the material available.
Turning to military preparedness, he claimed that Iran had strengthened its defensive capabilities following recent conflicts.
“Iran’s defensive capabilities have increased compared with the period before the Ramadan War.”
According to the MP, weaknesses identified in Iranian weapons systems during previous fighting had been reviewed and addressed. He maintained that the country would respond proportionately and effectively to any renewed attack.
His remarks linked the debate over international nuclear obligations to Iran’s broader security concerns and its efforts to strengthen deterrence.
What leaving the NPT would mean for Iran
Although nine withdrawal-related bills are reportedly under consideration, Iran remains a party to the treaty.
Under Article X of the NPT, published by the United Nations, a participating state may withdraw if it determines that extraordinary events connected with the treaty have endangered its supreme national interests.
The state must provide three months’ notice to the other treaty parties and the UN Security Council, explaining the circumstances behind its decision. In the treaty’s history, North Korea is the only country to have announced its withdrawal, doing so in 2003.
If the Iranian parliament approves a withdrawal proposal and the necessary notification procedure is subsequently completed, Iran would become the second country to leave the agreement.
The implications would extend beyond the Middle East. The NPT establishes obligations concerning nuclear non-proliferation alongside rights relating to the peaceful use of nuclear technology.
Moldova joined the treaty in 1994 as a non-nuclear-weapon state and is not a participant in the Iranian dispute. Nevertheless, the principle raised by Zolnouri — the relationship between treaty obligations and the rights granted to signatories — applies to every participating country.
Concluding his interview, the Iranian MP said Tehran would continue defending its interests against external pressure.
He maintained that, while “protecting national interests and strengthening deterrence capabilities”, Iran would resist threats and attacks, and the Majlis would continue monitoring the country’s nuclear rights and strategic interests.
For now, the parliamentary process remains unresolved. Zolnouri announced the nine proposals in remarks reported on 9 November, but no date has been confirmed for a parliamentary vote. Whether any of the bills will reach the chamber for a final decision remains unknown.
