Iranian clerics and officials urged the country to acquire nuclear arms
Some Iranian clerics and officials are calling for Iran to pursue nuclear weapons, arguing it should rebuild deterrence by abandoning its longstanding pledge not to build a bomb after its war with the United States, The New York Times reports. NCRI’s news site also describes growing calls among Friday prayer leaders and parliament members to revise Iran’s nuclear doctrine.
More context
Following its war with the United States, some Iranian clerics and officials have urged the country to acquire nuclear arms, The New York Times reported. They say restoring deterrence requires scrapping Iran’s longstanding commitment against building a nuclear bomb.
In a Nov. 3 digest, the NCRI said officials and figures affiliated with Iran’s ruling establishment have increasingly raised the prospect of changing the country’s nuclear doctrine. It said the calls have come from Friday prayer leaders, members of parliament and regime supporters. The NCRI described them as an effort to use the nuclear issue for domestic propaganda and external intimidation, as Iran’s economic crisis deepens and social tensions intensify.
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Reporting
- The New York Times — More Iranians Call for Nuclear Weapons After War With U.S.
- ncr-iran.org — Iran News in Brief – November 3, 2026 - NCRI
Verifier’s note
The New York Times reports that Iranian clerics and officials called for dropping the pledge against building a nuclear bomb, and NCRI separately reports officials and Friday prayer leaders advocating pursuit of nuclear weapons. NCRI does not explicitly frame the calls as following the war, but its report is consistent with the proposed claim and does not contradict it.