Is Iran's warning it could go nuclear after Trump's threat a bluff or more?
The warning, which was issued by a moderate politician known for his pragmatist negotiating skills, underscored how the dynamics between Tehran and Washington are becoming increasingly volatile.
TEHRAN — Ali Larijani, a senior advisor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said Iran could reconsider its nuclear doctrine if external pressures intensified a day after US President Donald Trump threatened to bomb Iran over its nuclear program.
In a prime-time televised interview on Monday, Larijani asserted that while Iran has long adhered to Khamenei's fatwa against nuclear weapons, it could revise the stance if faced with overwhelming force.
The Iranian supreme leader issued the fatwa in 2003 banning the production of weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear bombs. The decree has since been repeatedly referenced by Iranian diplomats in their negotiations with Western counterparts with the aim of allaying concerns about Tehran's controversial nuclear activities.
However, Larijani warned that continued Western pressure, particularly from the United States, could push Iran to shift strategy. He claimed that such actions would trigger further domestic calls for a more aggressive nuclear stance against adversaries.
