Iran is urgently considering withdrawing from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, seeking a new agreement with Russia and China within the BRICS framework.
Iran’s Nuclear Treaty Status
Iran ratified the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in 1970, which grants parties the right to develop nuclear energy in exchange for forgoing nuclear weapons and cooperating with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
New BRICS Alliance Sought
Iran is planning a new international agreement for the development of peaceful nuclear technologies in cooperation with the BRICS bloc, which includes China, Russia, Brazil, India, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, and Indonesia.
“Treaty Has Not Protected Us”
Iranian officials argue the NPT has failed to protect the country from attacks by nuclear powers and has not yielded any benefits. Ebrahim Rezaei, a spokesperson for the parliamentary commission on national security, stated that continued membership in the NPT is pointless.
Concerns Over US Policy and IAEA Statements
Rezaei criticized the US withdrawal from numerous international organizations and conventions, and expressed concern over a statement by the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency suggesting that a nuclear bomb might be the only way to destroy Iran’s nuclear program, calling it provocative and dangerous.
Rejection of US Proposal and War Conditions
Iran rejected a 15-point US proposal for a ceasefire on March 25th, presenting its own plan to end the conflict. Donald Trump had previously claimed Iranian negotiators agreed Iran would never acquire nuclear weapons, a claim Iran denied.
Iran’s Demands for Peace
Iran is demanding the complete withdrawal of US forces from the Middle East and Asia, the lifting of UN and US sanctions, the release of frozen Iranian assets, formal recognition of the US and Israel as aggressors, and the payment of reparations.
Territorial Disputes and Strategic Waters
Iran also demands that the United Arab Emirates cease its territorial claims to the islands of Abu Musa, Greater Tunb, and Lesser Tunb, strategically located in the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has controlled since 1971.