A number of senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commanders have urged Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to rescind a fatwa (religious decree) prohibiting nuclear weapons in the face of threats from the West, according to a Saturday The Telegraph report, citing Iranian officials.
In 2005, during an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) convention, an official statement was made regarding a fatwa Khamenei signed which stated Islam banned nuclear weapons.
“The leader has forbidden negotiations with the Americans and the development of nuclear weapons, which seem to be the only ways for survival [of the regime], and he’s driving the regime toward collapse,” an official was cited as saying.
“We have been just a few button presses away from building a nuclear weapon for some time now, but the pressures and justifications for having one are greater than ever,” the official added.
The official described the “existential threat” he claimed his country faced from the West.
“We have never been this vulnerable, and it may be our last chance to obtain one before it’s too late,” an official was cited as saying.
“The existential threat we now face has led several senior commanders – who previously insisted on following the supreme leader’s guidance – to push for making an atomic weapon,” an official noted.
Officials have made similar statements in the past without commenting on the fatwa.
“We have no decision to build a nuclear bomb, but should Iran’s existence be threatened, there will be no choice but to change our military doctrine,” advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Kamal Kharrazi, said back in May 2024.
Trump on Iran deal
Last week, US President Donald Trump said he would reinstate his “maximum pressure” policy on Iran.
He stated he wished to see a verified nuclear peace agreement with Iran, which would render the Islamic Republic non-nuclear.
On Wednesday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi addressed US fears regarding his country’s development of nuclear weapons.
“Iran’s position is clear: it is a member of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, and the Supreme Leader’s fatwa has already clarified our stance [against weapons of mass destruction],” Araqchi said.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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