Iran Threatens to Withdraw From Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Boosts Uranium Enrichment After IAEA Censure

Iran has threatened to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), an international accord meant to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, if European powers move to reinstate economic sanctions — a step Tehran condemned as “legally baseless and politically reckless,” warning it would endanger global security.

In a formal letter to the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday, Iran’s Ambassador to the UN, Saeed Iravani, reiterated Tehran’s warning that the country would take “proportionate responses” to what it described as escalating foreign pressure.

Iran’s threats come as the United Kingdom, France, and Germany — collectively known as the E3 — along with the United States, put forward a resolution condemning Tehran’s nuclear non-compliance at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors meeting in Vienna this week.

Based on a recent IAEA report, the motion accuses Iran of failing to cooperate with the UN nuclear watchdog over alleged “undeclared nuclear activities.” Originally scheduled for Wednesday, the vote was delayed until Thursday due to time constraints.

If adopted, the resolution could lead to the reimposition of UN sanctions by October. These sanctions were originally lifted under the now-defunct 2015 nuclear deal — known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — which temporarily limited Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

The IAEA’s latest report also reveals that, alongside numerous other violations, Iran has previously conducted multiple implosion tests — a crucial military capability for developing an atomic bomb.

Iranian officials have rejected the IAEA’s findings as “politically motivated,” blaming Israel for providing the intelligence behind the claims, and accusing the agency of serving US interests in an effort to pressure Tehran during its negotiations with Washington to reach a nuclear deal.

“The Board of Governors’ resolution was mischievous,” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said at a press conference on Thursday. “We will continue our path. Enrichment will go on, and we will not back down from the current trend.”

“Even if they bomb our facilities, our capabilities lie in our minds. Whatever they destroy, we will rebuild,” Pezeshkian continued.

After five rounds of talks between the US and Iran, diplomatic efforts have yet to yield results, as the Islamic regime and Washington clash over Tehran’s demand to maintain its domestic uranium enrichment program — a condition that US President Donald Trump has publicly rejected.

Earlier this week, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei announced that Iran will soon present its own nuclear proposal after rejecting a previous offer from Washington.

Although nuclear negotiations appear on the brink of collapse, a sixth round of talks is tentatively scheduled for Sunday in Oman. At the same time, Trump’s 60-day deadline for reaching a nuclear deal expired on Wednesday.

In response to the IAEA resolution, Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesperson for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), announced the establishment of a third uranium enrichment facility at a secure location, along with a major upgrade to Iran’s centrifuge systems — steps he said would significantly expand the country’s nuclear activities.

“They wrongly believe political pressure can force Iran to retreat from its rightful positions,” Kamalvandi said. “We had already warned that we would adjust our actions accordingly.”

Meanwhile, Major General Hossein Salami, chief commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) — a US-designated terrorist organization — declared that Tehran is fully prepared to confront any act of aggression amid growing threats of military action against the country.

“The enemy sometimes threatens us with military action. We have always said, and we say today, that we stand fully ready for any scenarios, situations, and circumstances,” Salami said.

Iran’s latest threats come as media reports reveal that the US has heightened security at its embassies and military bases across West Asia amid fears of a possible Israeli strike on Tehran.

Israel views Iran’s nuclear program, which many Western governments believe is ultimately meant to build nuclear weapons, as an existential threat.

Iranian leaders regularly declare their intention to destroy Israel. However, Tehran has claimed its nuclear activities are for peaceful, civilian purposes.

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