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Iran’s ultra-hardline Kayhan newspaper on Saturday said Tehran should consider withdrawing from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) if the United States crosses Iran’s red lines in ongoing nuclear talks.
“The current nuclear standoff has clearly endangered our vital interests,” wrote Hossein Shariatmadari, Kayhan’s editor and a representative of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. “If that is the case—and it is—why don’t we invoke Article 10 of the NPT and exit?”
The paper said the outcome of Saturday’s negotiations in Rome will be a key test of Washington’s intentions and added that past US statements show the nuclear issue is “only a pretext” to pressure Iran.
Kayhan argued that withdrawal would be legal under the treaty and could remove what it described as an imposed challenge on Iran’s nuclear program.
The NPT allows countries to use nuclear technology for civilian purposes—such as medicine, agriculture, and energy—but prohibits the development or acquisition of nuclear weapons.
An Iranian lawmaker said talks between Iran and the United States are likely to continue, noting that US President Donald Trump trusts his chief envoy despite political pressure at home.
Fadahossein Maleki, a member of Iran’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, told local media that Trump “is under pressure from some hardliners,” but his negotiator, Steve Witkoff, “is trusted by him.”
Maleki said Iran was satisfied with the format and agenda of the first round of talks held in Muscat earlier this month, and that the second round in Rome will focus exclusively on nuclear issues.
“I am optimistic,” Maleki said, adding that the discussions are expected to define a framework for possible future negotiations.
