Iran is reconsidering its ban on developing weapons of mass destruction amid heightened tensions in the Middle East and deteriorating security conditions.
Tehran has long boasted one of the region’s most advanced nuclear programs and most powerful militaries, and this latest move could present them with more opportunities to exercise control.
It could also see relations with Israel and the US, which both possess nuclear weapons, deteriorate further.
Kamal Kharrazi, senior adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and a former foreign minister, said: “If Iran’s existence is threatened, we will have to change our nuclear doctrine.”
He maintained that Iran is not currently pursuing the development of a nuclear weapon, but warned it “is possible and imaginable” in the future.
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This comes after the first ever direct exchange of attacks between Iran and Israel, prompting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to threaten their nuclear facilities with attack.
Kharrazi responded, saying this would be a reason for a change in “nuclear doctrine” which could see Tehran begin developments on a nuclear weapon.
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Brigadier General Ahmad Haghtalab, commander of the Nuclear Protection and Security Corps, also shared this sentiment.
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