Iran Revives Threat to Withdraw From Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

Latest Developments

Key Iranian Official Attacks ‘Bullying Parties’: Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said that the Islamic Republic was reviewing the possibility of withdrawing from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). “What is the benefit of joining a treaty in which bullying parties at the international level not only do not allow us to benefit from its rights but also attack our nuclear facilities?” Baghaei said, adding that Tehran would abide by the treaty for as long as it remained a signatory. Iran has threatened to quit the NPT on several occasions since 2004.
Tehran Regime Slams IAEA Chief: Baghaei also criticized International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi on March 30, calling his silence on recent strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities “regrettable.” “For several times, Grossi has adopted a very wrong approach and, instead of condemning the aggressors, he uses phrases in his interviews that complicate the situation,” Baghaei said.
Top Nuclear Scientist Killed in Strikes: Israel reportedly eliminated top nuclear researcher Ali Fouladvand in airstrikes on March 28. Fouladvand was head of research at Tehran’s Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND) and was sanctioned by the State Department in October 2025.

FDD Expert Response

“Iran’s withdrawal from the NPT would be the surest sign of a failure of negotiations. In that event, the United States and Israel must fully destroy the regime’s highly enriched uranium (HEU), the possible enrichment facility in Pickaxe Mountain, and any remaining nuclear assets. The two allies must also continue degrading the regime until a leader emerges who will commit to reversing such a decision.” —Andrea Stricker, Nonproliferation Program Deputy Director and Research Fellow

“This isn’t Iran’s first threat to leave the NPT, and it certainly won’t be the last. Iranian comments about changing their nuclear doctrine or posture are designed to intimidate Western governments and spook Western nations from applying economic and military pressure against the regime. While such comments cannot be divorced from the regime’s weakening strategic situation, they predate this conflict.” — Behnam Ben Taleblu, Iran Program Senior Director and Senior Fellow

“Iran is currently in breach of the NPT but now seeks to threaten us with leaving the NPT — a threat that perhaps carried more weight before Israel and the United States militarily degraded the regime’s nuclear extortion capacity.” — Richard Goldberg, Senior Advisor