Iran’s parliament is set to debate on Sunday a letter from dozens of lawmakers urging a shift in the country’s official policy of not pursuing nuclear weapons, amid escalating tensions with Western powers and Israel.
Deputy Speaker Ali Nikzad told state television that 71 of the 290 parliamentarians had submitted the letter to the Supreme National Security Council, calling for a review of nuclear strategy in response to “recent events,” including the 12-day conflict with Israel in June that targeted Iranian atomic facilities.
The move comes just hours before a critical United Nations Security Council vote on whether to delay the reinstatement of broad international sanctions on Iran, scheduled for September 28. The so-called “snapback” mechanism was triggered by the UK, France, and Germany, who accuse Tehran of breaching the 2015 nuclear deal.
While Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reiterated this week that Iran will not seek nuclear arms, the letter signals mounting pressure within the ruling establishment to reconsider the country’s nuclear doctrine. Tehran insists its atomic program is peaceful, but Western governments and Israel have long warned it could be weaponized.
If sanctions return, Iran has threatened to exit the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and abandon its provisional cooperation deal with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Intelligence Minister Claims Major Espionage Breakthrough
Meanwhile, Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmaeil Khatib announced that Tehran had obtained millions of classified Israeli documents detailing Israel’s nuclear and military programs. The revelations were aired in a state television documentary titled Spider’s Lair, broadcast Wednesday night.
Khatib claimed the cache includes the names and personal details of 189 Israeli nuclear and military specialists, as well as American and European scientists linked to Israel’s weapons projects. The minister described the intelligence haul as the result of a “complex multilayered operation” that penetrated Israel’s most secure vaults.
According to the minister, the documents contain coordinates of sensitive Israeli facilities, some of which were struck by Iranian missile units during June’s conflict. The files also reportedly include evidence of Israeli and U.S. influence on the IAEA and insights into dual-use scientific sites.
Khatib said the disclosure represents only a fraction of the material seized and that further details will be revealed in due course. He added that a number of individuals inside Israel — including nuclear employees and ordinary citizens — cooperated with Iran’s intelligence services, motivated by financial incentives or anger at Israel’s leadership.
Iranian officials had first announced the acquisition of the intelligence trove in June 2025, calling it a “treasure chest” of sensitive information. At the time, few specifics were made public.
During the June conflict, Iran launched multiple missile strikes on Israeli sites, including the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, one of Israel’s leading research centers.
