Senior MP Says Iran May Abandon Key Nuclear Weapons Deal

(MENAFN) Iran may abandon a key nuclear weapons agreement and intensify its uranium enrichment program if Western European countries reintroduce severe economic sanctions, a top Iranian official warned.

Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesperson for Iran’s Parliament National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, told a news agency on Saturday that the United Kingdom, France, and Germany would face serious consequences if they trigger the snapback mechanism embedded in the 2015 nuclear accord.

Rezaei cautioned that such a move could prompt Tehran to take several retaliatory steps, including exiting the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), enriching uranium beyond 60% purity, and ramping up the production and export of advanced centrifuges.

Iran, he noted, “has not fully exploited its capacities so far and may go for multiple other strategic options if necessary.”

The NPT is designed to curb the proliferation of nuclear weapons while encouraging the peaceful use of nuclear energy. With 191 signatories, it stands as one of the most widely supported arms control treaties globally. Notably, India, Pakistan, Israel, and South Sudan have never signed the pact, while North Korea withdrew in 2003.

Rezaei’s comments follow recent statements from French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, who said that the UK, France, and Germany are prepared to reinstate United Nations sanctions on Iran by the end of August unless substantial progress is made in efforts to limit Tehran’s nuclear program.

A major roadblock in negotiations has been Iran’s suspension of cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which has hampered international oversight of its nuclear facilities. Tehran has accused the IAEA of issuing a biased report—an allegation it claims was leveraged by Israel to justify launching a 12-day military campaign against the Islamic Republic.

In response to a series of U.S.-backed Israeli airstrikes targeting Iranian nuclear and military infrastructure last month, Iran launched retaliatory measures. These developments unfolded as diplomatic talks between Washington and Tehran reached a stalemate. The U.S. has insisted Iran fully halt its uranium enrichment program, arguing the technology could be diverted to produce a nuclear weapon. Tehran has rejected the demand, asserting that its enrichment efforts are solely intended to support its civilian energy sector, and it maintains it has no plans to build nuclear arms.

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