Iran's parliament has received a fast-tracked bill to withdraw from the global nuclear non-proliferation treaty it has been a member of since 1970.
The move comes as US and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities intensify, with parliament not in regular session since the strikes began.
Arms control experts warn that an Iranian exit from the NPT could mark a dangerous turning point in global nuclear non-proliferation efforts.
As American and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites intensify, lawmakers in Tehran are pushing a dramatic response. Politicians in Iran are considering pulling the country out of the global treaty that has governed nuclear weapons for over five decades.
According to Al Jazeera, Iran's parliament has received a fast-tracked bill proposing withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, or NPT, which is the cornerstone international agreement that limits the spread of nuclear weapons while allowing countries to develop peaceful nuclear energy under international supervision.
2 March 2026
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The treaty, which came into force in 1970, has been signed by nearly every country in the world, including Iran, which has been a member since the treaty's inception and has long maintained that its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful.
The bill has been introduced by Iranian lawmaker Malek Shariati, who confirmed on social media that it has been referred to the deputy of laws in parliament. Beyond simply quitting the treaty, the proposal calls for repealing domestic laws tied to past nuclear commitments and establishing a new framework with allied nations for cooperative development of peaceful nuclear technology.
The timing is politically charged. Reports suggest Iran's parliament has not been in regular session since the US and Israeli strikes began, including attacks on nuclear facilities such as the one in Bushehr, raising questions about when the bill could actually be debated or voted upon.
The NPT, opened for signature in 1968, recognises five nuclear-armed states, the US, Russia, China, France and UK, and requires them to work toward disarmament. All other signatories, including Iran, commit to not developing nuclear weapons. In return, every member is permitted to pursue civilian nuclear energy under the watch of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN's nuclear watchdog. The treaty also contains a withdrawal clause, allowing any member to exit with just three months' notice if it believes extraordinary circumstances threaten its national security.
It is that clause that Iranian politicians are now pointing to, as calls for withdrawal grow louder amid the ongoing military strikes, the report added.
Arms control experts have reportedly expressed alarm at the development, warning that an Iranian exit from the NPT could mark a major turning point in global non-proliferation efforts, potentially opening the door to nuclear escalation in one of the world's most volatile regions.
For now, there has been no official confirmation that Iran will actually leave the treaty. Whether it does will depend on internal parliamentary approvals and, crucially, how the conflict unfolds in the days ahead.
