Iran says authorities to decide whether to withdraw from nuclear non-proliferation treaty

ISTANBUL

Iran on Monday said that authorities will decide whether to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

“On important issues such as how to deal with the NPT, a decision must be made by the relevant authorities,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said, in his response to a question about a possible withdrawal from the NPT.

Baqaei stressed that Iran considers any weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons, contrary to religious teachings and beliefs.

The Iranian parliament earlier denied reports about withdrawal from the NPT, stressing that it does not have any plans to issue any resolutions regarding the issue, according to local media.

Last week, the UN nuclear watchdog found Iran in breach of its nuclear obligations for the first time in 20 years.

Regional tension has escalated since Friday after Israel launched coordinated airstrikes on multiple sites across Iran, including military and nuclear facilities, prompting Tehran to launch retaliatory strikes.

Israeli authorities said that at least 24 people were killed and hundreds injured in Iranian missile attacks since Friday.

Iran, for its part, said that at least 224 people were killed and over 1,000 others wounded in the Israeli assault.