Iranian Lawmaker Calls for Nuclear Doctrine Change as Tensions With US and Israel Escalate

A senior Iranian lawmaker has publicly renewed calls for Tehran to develop a nuclear weapon, escalating a debate over the country's long-standing official position against atomic arms. Mahmoud Nabavian, a hardline member of Iran's Parliament representing Tehran, said in posts on X that a change in the nuclear doctrine reflects the demand of what he described as the overwhelming majority of Iranians. He argued that the country must respond to threats at the same level at which it is attacked.

Nabavian, a former first deputy chairman of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, has advocated for an atomic bomb since at least 2024. He maintained that the nuclear doctrine is set and announced according to the country's security and defense conditions, signaling a push by hardliners to overturn Tehran's official opposition to nuclear weapons.

His latest remarks followed a defiant statement from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who ordered the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to update its list of US and Israeli targets to include all physical and non-physical assets within the reach of Iranian forces. Khamenei said that if enemies launch military attacks again, Iran's armed forces and the Iranian nation will determine the time and conditions for ending them.

In posts on his official X account carried by state media, Khamenei declared that any level or type of threat must be met with an immediate, impactful and geographically unrestricted response. He also called for strengthening what he described as the spirit of jihad. The directive indicates Tehran will no longer limit its response to the region, according to the statements.

The developments come amid growing fears of renewed military confrontation in the Middle East, with the US and Israel seen as potential participants in any new action. The public push by Iranian hardliners to revisit the nuclear doctrine adds a further dimension to the standoff and is likely to draw close international attention in the coming days.