Iranian hardliners increasingly vocal about nuclear bomb after Khamenei killing, US-Israeli strikes

The shift comes after the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the start of the war on February 28, an event that sources say has strengthened the influence of more hawkish elements.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Debate inside Iran’s leadership over whether to pursue a nuclear weapon has intensified following US-Israeli strikes, as hardline factions push for a shift in policy amid growing concerns about the country’s security and strategic position, two senior Iranian sources told Reuters.

The discussion has become more visible in both official and semi-official channels, with figures linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and conservative political circles advocating reconsideration of Iran’s long-standing nuclear stance.

The shift comes after the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the start of the war on February 28, an event that sources say has strengthened the influence of more hawkish elements.

One of the sources said Iran has not yet decided to build a nuclear weapon and has not formally altered its doctrine. However, the source added that prominent voices within the establishment are increasingly challenging existing policy and calling for a change.

Iran has consistently denied seeking nuclear weapons, citing Khamenei’s ruling that such arms are forbidden in Islam and pointing to its membership in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

That position is now under renewed scrutiny following the latest conflict, which began during negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program.

State-linked media outlets have amplified calls for a tougher approach. The IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News Agency published an article urging withdrawal from the NPT, while hardline politician Mohammad Javad Larijani said, “The NPT should be suspended. We should form a committee to assess whether the NPT is of any use to us at all. If it proves useful, we will return to it. If not, they can keep it.”

Earlier this month, conservative commentator Nasser Torabi said on state television: “We need to act in order to build a nuclear weapon. Either we build it, or we acquire it.”

The two sources said internal discussions reflect divisions between IRGC-aligned figures and other political leaders over the risks of pursuing a bomb. Analysts have previously described Iran’s strategy as maintaining “threshold” capability, allowing rapid development without openly crossing into weaponization.

It remains unclear how quickly Iran could advance its program after weeks of airstrikes and the 12-day war last June, which damaged nuclear and missile facilities. The deaths of Khamenei and Ali Larijani have also removed key figures who had resisted hardline pressure, while uncertainty surrounds whether Khamenei’s unwritten religious ruling still applies under potential successor Mojtaba Khamenei.