Tehran must move forward with a nuclear test, Iranian MP says
Tehran must proceed with a nuclear test at the earliest opportunity, an Iranian lawmaker said on Saturday, amid reports in Tehran media of an intercontinental ballistic missile test.
Tehran must proceed with a nuclear test at the earliest opportunity, an Iranian lawmaker said on Saturday, amid reports in Tehran media of an intercontinental ballistic missile test.
“A nuclear test, along with its formal announcement, must not be delayed,” member of parliament Ahmad Naderi posted on X.
His comment comes alongside a video widely circulated on social media, which some believe shows an intercontinental ballistic missile test in Shahroud, northern Iran. Naderi, the only political figure speaking about the matter, refrained from confirming specifics, simply saying this development was “nothing unexpected.”
Iran has an array of medium-range ballistic missiles capable of reaching Israel, but extending their range could put European countries within striking distance.
Last month, an Israeli airstrike targeted multiple sites, including a key IRGC missile facility in Shahroud in north-central Iran, where satellite imagery from Planet Labs later showed significant damage to a ballistic missile and space rocket launch site.
Earlier this month, Kamal Kharrazi, former foreign minister and top foreign policy advisor to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, warned that Iran might consider lifting its self-imposed 2,500-kilometer missile range limit in response to Israeli threats, signaling potential plans to test an intercontinental missile.
Kharrazi further indicated that Iran possesses the capability to produce nuclear weapons and suggested that, under existential threats, Tehran might reconsider the Supreme Leader’s ruling against weapons of mass destruction.
“If the Islamic Republic of Iran faces an existential threat, we may have no choice but to adjust our military doctrine,” Kharrazi said.
Iran has consistently held that it would not pursue nuclear weapons, citing a 2010 fatwa banning all forms of weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear arms. However, this decree is sometimes seen as advisory in nature and could be reinterpreted by Iranian decision-makers if the security landscape changes.
Israel launched airstrikes on military targets in Iran in response to a missile attack Iran had directed at Israel on October 1. The strikes damaged missile facilities and air defense systems, resulting in the deaths of four Iranian soldiers and one civilian.
Since then, Iranian officials’ rhetoric has fluctuated, at times suggesting an intent for a retaliatory response.
