Debate is growing in Iran over changes to its defense policy and a review of the ban on producing nuclear weapons, with the issue reportedly reaching Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s office.
In recent days, Iranian media close to Khamenei expressed concerns about the country’s lack of nuclear deterrence. The Tehran Times said that "uncontrolled Israeli threats are driving Iranian calls for nuclear weapons."
On Thursday, the Fars news agency quoted Rasoul Sanai-Rad, a political adviser to Khamenei, warning that any Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear sites would violate key regional and international boundaries.
Sanai-Rad added that some Iranian politicians are considering changes to nuclear policy, as an attack on energy sites would have serious consequences during and after any conflict.
Iranian military and political leaders have frequently suggested a shift in nuclear policy toward producing nuclear weapons, but they consistently remind the public that this is forbidden by a fatwa from Khamenei.
The current regional tensions are creating a new situation for Iran, especially after recent setbacks for Lebanon’s Hezbollah, its main ally, leading to a belief that Iran is now directly confronting Israel.
Israel is considering its response to Iranian ballistic missile threats. The government is likely to empower Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to decide when and where to strike.
Gallant previously stated that Israel has prepared a “devastating and surprising response to Iran” following an inconclusive call between Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden.
In a session of the Iranian parliament, Deputy Hassanali Akhlaghi Amiri called on the Supreme National Security Council to urgently rethink Iran’s defense doctrine.
Political institutions in Iran are promoting the idea that increasing deterrence against Israel is gaining support among influential and elite groups.
Akhlaghi Amiri asked parliament members, “Why do you limit yourselves to just condemning Israel's actions? Are you afraid? Is life so precious that you accept humiliation?”
He added that revising the fatwa against nuclear weapons, according to Imamite jurisprudence, should consider current circumstances and be presented to the Supreme Leader. However, he acknowledged that “the fatwa still remains in place.”
In 2003, Khamenei issued a fatwa banning nuclear weapons, which is considered a binding advisory opinion.
The Iranian government later announced this fatwa during a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna. A former Iranian president called the fatwa the best guarantee for Iran's pursuit of peaceful nuclear technology.
According to IAEA estimates, Tehran is close to enriching its uranium stock to nearly 90% within two weeks, a level that would allow it to produce a nuclear bomb.
