What is the NPT, and why has Iran threatened to pull out of the treaty?

The Iranian authorities says parliament is drafting authorities to retreat from the atomic Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) arsenic it is engaged successful an escalating subject struggle with Israel.

Tehran’s menace connected Monday to locomotion distant from the planetary pact comes aft Israel launched an unprecedented onslaught connected Iran’s atomic and subject sites, sidesplitting respective atomic scientists and scholars on with apical subject commanders.

Israel has said its attacks are aimed astatine stopping Iran from gathering a atomic bomb. Iran has insisted its atomic programme is for peaceful, civilian purposes. Meanwhile, Israel remains the lone state successful the Middle East with atomic weapons – contempt ne'er officially acknowledging its arsenal oregon being a signatory to the NPT.

Since Israel launched the attacks connected Friday, some countries person exchanged fatal salvoes, launching ballistic missiles and drone attacks connected each other’s territories. The decease toll from Israel’s attacks connected Iran has risen to much than 220, including 70 women and children, portion implicit 20 radical person been killed successful Iranian attacks connected Israel. Late connected Monday, United States President Donald Trump issued a informing to residents of Tehran to flee.

So what has Tehran said astir pulling retired of the NPT? Why mightiness it bash so? What is the NPT? And what could beryllium the fallout of specified a decision?

What has Iran threatened?

On Monday, Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that lawmakers are preparing a measure to retreat Tehran from the NPT.

“In airy of caller developments, we volition instrumentality an due decision,” ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said astatine a quality conference. “[The] authorities has to enforce parliament bills, but specified a connection is conscionable being prepared, and we volition coordinate successful the aboriginal stages with parliament.”

President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran has nary plans to make atomic weapons and its atomic activities stay focused connected peaceful vigor accumulation and research.

Pezeshkian further said Tehran’s policies align with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s longstanding spiritual edict against weapons of wide destruction. “The Zionist authorities is the lone possessor of weapons of wide demolition successful the region,” Baghaei said, referring to the Israeli government.

What is the NPT?

The Treaty connected the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons is simply a landmark planetary pact aimed astatine preventing the dispersed of atomic weapons and promoting peaceful uses of atomic energy.

It was opened for signature connected July 1, 1968, and entered into unit connected March 5, 1970. The pact was negotiated by the US, Soviet Union and Britain.

Under the NPT, nuclear-weapon states hold not to transportation atomic weapons oregon assistance nonnuclear-weapon states successful processing them. Nonnuclear-weapon states besides hold not to question oregon get atomic weapons.

The pact views nuclear-weapon states arsenic those that manufactured and exploded a atomic limb oregon different atomic instrumentality earlier January 1, 1967. Those countries are the US, Britain, France, China and Russia. The pact besides paves a way for these archetypal atomic weapons powers to signifier retired their arsenals.

The pact supports the close of each signatories to entree atomic exertion for peaceful purposes nether safeguards overseen by the United Nations atomic watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Among the 11 articles of the treaty, 1 enables a state to retreat with 3 months announcement “if it decides that bonzer events … person jeopardized the ultimate interests of its country”.

Why would an Iranian withdrawal beryllium significant?

Kelsey Davenport, the manager for nonproliferation argumentation astatine the nonprofit Arms Control Association, told Al Jazeera that she wasn’t amazed by Iranian threats to retreat from the NPT.

“The Israeli attacks are driving statement successful Iran astir whether atomic weapons are indispensable to deter aboriginal attacks,” Davenport said. “[The] NPT withdrawal would beryllium a awesome of however earnestly Iran is considering weapons development.”

Iran signed the NPT successful July 1968 and ratified it successful February 1970 arsenic a nonnuclear-weapon state. It has since said its atomic programme is for peaceful purposes and research. The IAEA has conducted inspections nether the treaty’s safeguards system.

To beryllium sure, withdrawal from the NPT wouldn’t automatically mean that Iran would physique a atomic weapon. Officially, the Iranian government’s presumption connected not seeking atomic arms remains unchanged.

But if it exits the treaty, Iran would nary longer beryllium bound by the NPT’s requirements, including oversight by the IAEA, obligations related to atomic transparency and a committedness to not gathering a atomic bomb.

Without IAEA safeguards, UN inspectors and the remainder of the satellite would person little cognition of Iran’s atomic programme – which successful crook could spark concerns that Tehran could take to secretly beforehand towards processing atomic weapons.

Could an Iranian withdrawal from the NPT interaction the treaty’s legitimacy?

“If Iran withdraws from the NPT and develops atomic weapons, determination could beryllium a ripple effect successful the region,” Davenport said. “Other states whitethorn likewise consciousness pressured to get a atomic deterrent.”

She described the NPT arsenic a “critical bulwark” against the dispersed of atomic weapons.

“Any erosion would beryllium destabilising. Failing to resoluteness Iran’s atomic situation would woody a superior stroke to the treaty,” she told Al Jazeera.

Davenport said she believes diplomacy inactive deserves a shot.

“The archetypal measurement is to property for de-escalation and a instrumentality of IAEA inspectors to Iranian atomic facilities. It is captious for the bureau to statesman to measure the harm astatine Iran’s atomic sites and relationship for Iran’s atomic materials,” she said.

At the aforesaid time, she said, the US needs to enactment with Russia and China – allies of Iran – to transportation Tehran against walking distant from the NPT.

An “Iranian withdrawal from the NPT volition person a antagonistic interaction by pushing much states to see the benefits of withdrawal oregon usage withdrawal threats arsenic leverage,” she warned.

Which countries are NPT signatories – and which are not?

As of 2025, 191 countries are parties to the NPT, making it 1 of the astir wide adhered-to arms power agreements.

But 4 atomic weapons states – India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea – are not members of the NPT regime.

Of these, India, Pakistan and Israel – and South Sudan – ne'er joined the treaty. North Korea was a enactment to the pact but withdrew from it successful 2003.

Have the NPT and IAEA faced criticism?

The atomic nonproliferation authorities and its starring oversight agency, the IAEA, person some faced disapproval implicit the years.

India, for instance, has repeatedly defended its refusal to motion the NPT by describing the pact arsenic “discriminatory, unequal and flawed” due to the fact that it allows those who had atomic weapons connected a circumstantial day to proceed to person them portion banning others from entree to atomic bombs. The NPT, successful effect, divides the satellite “into atomic haves and have‑nots”, India has argued, pointing retired that the pact does not unit the US, Russia, China, France and the UK to destruct their atomic weapons.

Meanwhile, the IAEA has travel nether disapproval from Iran implicit a caller censure from the bureau that Tehran said facilitated Israel’s attack.

The IAEA solution past week accused Iran of a deficiency of transparency implicit its atomic programme. “Those voting for the [IAEA] solution prepared the crushed for the attack” by Israel, Baghaei said.

What did the IAEA accidental successful its censure of Iran?

The IAEA said Iran was not cooperating with verifications relating to its atomic programme.

Iran, the UN bureau said, had not provided “credible explanations” for the beingness of uranium particles astatine aggregate “undeclared locations” oregon accusation connected the determination of atomic material.

Rafael Grossi, the manager wide of the IAEA, besides said the bureau was acrophobic astir “the accelerated accumulation of highly enriched uranium by Iran”.

Responding to the IAEA resolution, Iran’s Foreign Ministry and Atomic Energy Organization said Tehran had ever adhered to its safeguards obligations, adding that the solution was politically motivated and lacked method and ineligible foundations.