Iran threatens NPT withdrawal, Hormuz closure after US airstrikes
In a sharp escalation following US airstrikes on its nuclear facilities, Iran has warned of withdrawing from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and closing the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil chokepoint.
The threats, issued by senior Iranian lawmakers, come as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) schedules an emergency session to address the crisis.
On Sunday at dawn, US President Donald Trump announced via Truth Social a “very successful attack” on three Iranian nuclear facilities: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. The strikes, targeting safeguarded sites under IAEA supervision, have drawn fierce condemnation from Tehran, which labelled them illegal and escalatory.
Esmail Kowsari, a senior member of Iran’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, dismissed claims of significant damage to Iran’s nuclear program as “baseless.”
He confirmed that protective measures had been implemented to safeguard nuclear infrastructure and that Tehran possesses intelligence refuting US allegations of success. Kowsari warned that Iran’s armed forces are prepared to continue targeting Israeli assets and US military bases in the region, stating, “Hitting US bases will be far easier than targeting the Israeli regime.”
Iranian lawmakers are actively considering withdrawing from the NPT under Article 10, which allows a member state to exit if “extraordinary events” jeopardize its supreme interests. Kowsari revealed that an emergency parliamentary session is planned to evaluate the US attack and determine Iran’s response, with NPT withdrawal a key option.
Additionally, Kowsari indicated that closing the Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant portion of global oil passes, is “on the table” if the situation escalates.
Sara Fallahi, another committee member, echoed this stance, telling Tasnim News that Iran’s “decisive” retaliation could include both NPT withdrawal and sealing the Strait.
Abbas Golroo, head of the Foreign Policy Committee, reinforced this position on X, asserting Iran’s legal right to exit the NPT following the US strikes.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi announced an emergency Board of Governors meeting in Vienna on Monday to address the crisis. “In light of the urgent situation in Iran, I am convening an emergency meeting of the @IAEAorg Board of Governors,” Grossi posted on X.
Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation has demanded an independent IAEA investigation into the US strikes, emphasising that the targeted facilities were fully compliant with IAEA safeguards and posed no threat.
