Iran MPs call for nuclear deterrence amid tensions with Israel

Thirty-nine Iranian lawmakers have called on Iran's Supreme National Security Council to review the country's defense doctrine and consider adopting nuclear weapons as the risk of escalation with Israel continues to grow.

The MPs argue that Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei can reconsider his religious ban on nuclear weapons on the grounds that the circumstances have changed.

“To create deterrent capability and ensure national security, the ability to develop nuclear weapons is necessary,” Iranian MP Mohammad Reza Sabaghian said Wednesday. “While having nuclear weapons is possible for Israel, Iran must pursue nuclear weapons for self-defense.”

Iranian officials have repeatedly asserted that the country's nuclear program is peaceful, referring to a religious ruling by Khamenei prohibiting weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear bombs.

But growing tensions between Iran and Israel has led some hardliners in Tehran to push for stronger measures, questioning the permanence of that ruling.

"In the context of jurisprudence, time and place can influence the modification of rulings, and secondary rulings can replace primary ones," another Iranian MP Hassanali Akhlaghi Amiri said on Tuesday.

The ruling, or fatwa, is not a legal document but an advisory opinion on Islamic law offered by a high-ranking cleric. It is not set in stone and can be changed at any time.

His remarks come as the hardline Javan newspaper, closely aligned with Iran's ultra-conservative factions, has recently called for a shift in Iran’s nuclear doctrine. Following Iranian missile attacks on Israel earlier this month, the outlet argued for an immediate "transformation" in the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.

Javan also questioned whether Israel, if facing an existential threat, might issue threaten Iran with a nuclear attack. "Is the possibility of Israel issuing a clear or secret nuclear ultimatum out of the question?" the article asked, hinting at the possibility of nuclear escalation between the two adversaries.

Tehran’s stockpile of uranium, currently enriched to 60%, could potentially be refined to weapons-grade 90% in as little as two weeks. The shift in doctrine would likely be a signal of Iran's willingness to develop nuclear weapons if Israeli military actions threaten its core interests.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett recently urged Israel to seize the opportunity to cripple Iran’s nuclear program after last week's attack in which 181 ballistic missiles were sent by Iran to the Jewish state.

Iran’s ultra-hardliners have been increasingly vocal on social media, advocating for retaliatory actions against Israel and pushing for the development of a nuclear bomb.

Supporters of former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili have been particularly critical of Iran's current leadership, accusing President Masoud Pezeshkian of failing to adequately respond to Israeli airstrikes in Gaza and Lebanon, a result of the October 7 Hamas-backed attacks on Israel.

In May, an adviser to Iran's supreme leader stated that Iran would reconsider its nuclear doctrine if Israel threatens its existence.

In April, amid rising tensions with Israel, which is widely believed to possess nuclear weapons, a senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander also warned that Israeli threats could lead Iran to alter its nuclear policy.

The head of UN nuclear watchdog has warned that Iran may be weeks away from having enough weapons-grade nuclear material.