Iran (Washington Insider Magazine)—Iran may reconsider its nuclear policy if its existence faces serious threats, according to a senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Kamal Kharrazi, speaking on Thursday, reiterated Iran’s official stance against building nuclear weapons but hinted that this could change under extreme pressure.
“We have no decision to build a nuclear bomb,” Kharrazi said, “but should Iran’s existence be threatened, there will be no choice but to change our military doctrine,” reported Iran’s Student News Network.
This statement has intensified scrutiny of Iran’s nuclear intentions, which it has long claimed to be peaceful. Iran’s uranium enrichment, now at 60 percent, remains below the 90 percent purity needed for weapons-grade material but is a level that has alarmed international observers.
Khamenei, who holds the final decision on Iran’s nuclear policies, issued a religious edict, or fatwa, in the early 2000s declaring nuclear weapons “haram,” or forbidden under Islamic law. Despite this, Iran’s intelligence ministry warned in 2021 that continued Western pressure could force the country to reassess its position.
Regional tensions have escalated as Israel has increased strikes on Iran-linked targets in Syria. Just this April, Israel allegedly attacked Iran’s embassy compound in Damascus, killing members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes on Israel, marking a notable intensification in the long-standing shadow war between the two nations.
Early Thursday, Syrian air defenses intercepted Israeli missiles targeting the outskirts of Damascus, according to Syrian state news agency SANA. These ongoing confrontations underscore the regional volatility and the stakes surrounding Iran’s nuclear decisions.
