№ 1 (7), 2025. We’ve heard the gossip that Iran is considering withdrawing from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in response to the restoration of UN sanctions… or not?

Gossip Column

We’ve heard the gossip that Iran is considering withdrawing from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in response to the restoration of UN sanctions… or not?

We’ve heard the gossip that Iran is considering withdrawing from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in response to the restoration of UN sanctions. This move is seen as a reaction to the actions of the European “troika” – the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, which, in late August 2025, notified the UN Security Council of the activation of the sanctions snapback mechanism against Iran. If these sanctions are reinstated, Iran will likely be forced to reconsider its participation in the NPT.

Although Iran has not officially exited the treaty, there is growing domestic support for revisiting the country’s nuclear policy. In response to international actions, Tehran has raised the issue of resuming uranium enrichment to levels exceeding 60% and restarting the production of nuclear centrifuges. This could escalate tensions with the international community and disrupt existing non-proliferation agreements.

Amid rising international pressure and uncertainty, many experts believe that Iran will continue to leverage its nuclear program as a strategic tool to enhance its position on the global stage. However, this move could provoke new sanctions and worsen Iran’s diplomatic isolation.

So, in the context of growing dissatisfaction and international tensions, the possibility of Iran’s withdrawal from the NPT is becoming more real, raising concerns about not only Middle Eastern stability but also global security.

1. Russia and Iranian nuclear program: what steps are to be made to secure nonproliferation core principles and values? / Darya Kheyrie. M.: PIR Press, 2022. – 14 p. – (Security Index Occasional Paper Series). URL: https://pircenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Russia-and-Iranian-nuclear-program-what-steps-are-to-be-made-to-secure-nonproliferation.pdf
2. Russian-U.S. dialogue on the Iranian nuclear program: lessons learned and ignored / Ed. Egor Chobanian. M.: PIR Press, 2021. – 43 p. – (Security Index Occasional Paper Series). URL: https://pircenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/21-06-28-INF-SI-INT-№8-23-2021.pdf

Keywords: Iran; JCPOA; NPT

NPT

E16/SHAH – 25/09/09