Iran issued a warning on Thursday, stating that it might reconsider its nuclear “doctrine.” This suggests a potential departure from the publicly declared peaceful objectives of its nuclear program.
According to Tasnim, a top Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander, Ahmad Haghtalab, stated that the threats posed by the Zionist regime (Israel) towards Iran’s nuclear facilities have prompted a re-evaluation of their nuclear doctrine. Haghtalab emphasized that if Israel were to initiate any actions against Iran’s nuclear centers and facilities, Iran would respond with advanced missiles targeting Israel’s own nuclear sites. He further asserted that the era of “hit and run” tactics is no longer applicable.
Israel is considering changing its course of action in response to Iran’s attack on April 13. During the attack, Iran launched over 300 missiles and drones towards Israel as a retaliation for the killing of a top commander at an Iranian embassy in Syria. Fortunately, the attack was largely thwarted, resulting in no significant damage in Israel.
Israeli officials have pledged to retaliate, although they have not provided any additional information, which has heightened concerns of a full-scale war breaking out in the region.
According to previous reports from London-based Elaph, the Israeli government had been considering the possibility of targeting Iranian nuclear sites in retaliation for an attack by Tehran.
U.S. officials and other allies have been urging Israel to exercise restraint in its response to Iran’s attack last weekend. Netanyahu has delayed retaliation in response to the increasing pressure, as reported by Kan.
According to a memo released in February, the United States intelligence has found that Iran utilizes its nuclear program as a means to establish “negotiating leverage” when faced with what it perceives as international pressure. The memo further states that in response to attacks, Iran may attempt to enrich uranium up to 90 percent.
Tehran has consistently maintained that its nuclear program has peaceful objectives, primarily focused on power generation and research. Despite the infrequency of such threats, Iran’s intelligence minister, Mahmoud Alavi, warned in 2021 that the Western sanctions imposed on Iran could potentially compel the nation to pursue the development of nuclear weapons.
In a statement made at the time, Alavi expressed that if Iran is pushed in a certain direction, it should not be blamed on Iran itself but on those who pushed it. He likened this situation to a cat being cornered, which may exhibit different behavior compared to a cat that is free to roam.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has issued a religious edict stating that the pursuit of nuclear weapons is strictly prohibited.
In 2019, Khamenei expressed his disapproval of the construction and accumulation of nuclear bombs.
Efforts to revive the Iran nuclear deal have hit a roadblock since 2018. The deal, which aimed to limit Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, was abandoned by former President Donald Trump. As of February, Iran has been enriching uranium up to 60 percent purity, according to Rafael Grossi, the chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency. These levels are dangerously close to weapons grade and significantly surpass what is required for commercial nuclear use.
According to a recent U.S. intelligence assessment, as of late January, Iran was not engaging in the crucial activities required for developing nuclear weapons. These activities are necessary in order to produce a testable nuclear device.
In March of last year, General Mark Milley, who was serving as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the time, informed members of Congress that Iran had the potential to develop weapons in a matter of months.
