TEHRAN (Realist English). Iranian parliament member Seyed Mahmoud Nabavian said he publicly appealed to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei to authorize the creation of an atomic bomb. According to him, this happened at a gathering in the religious city of Qom.
“Tonight, at a gathering of the noble people of Qom, I asked the Supreme Leader for permission to create an atomic bomb, which was accompanied by takbir and the approval of the people,” the Iranian outlet Khabarfoori quoted him as saying. The source does not report Khamenei’s reaction, and there is no indication that Iran’s leadership has sanctioned the development of nuclear weapons.
Growing number of nuclear weapons supporters in parliament
Nabavian’s appeal is not an isolated case. Earlier in October, MP Ahmad Naderi said that Mojtaba Khamenei might take a different position on nuclear weapons than his late father and that Iran should strive for “final military deterrence.” Naderi claimed that calls for nuclear deterrence have become more prominent, including among Friday prayer leaders and representatives of the Supreme Leader.
Another MP, Hassan Nattaj, urged Khamenei to issue a new religious fatwa on the production of nuclear weapons, citing “current circumstances.” “We must ask the leader to help fulfill the people’s wishes in the current conditions and make a new decision,” he said. According to Iranian media, at least 70 Majlis members signed a letter calling on the Supreme National Security Council to ask the Supreme Leader to reconsider the nuclear doctrine.
Context: death of Ali Khamenei and war with US and Israel
The shift in nuclear rhetoric comes amid radical changes in Iranian politics. Former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who issued a fatwa banning nuclear weapons, was killed on 28 February 2026 in an Israeli airstrike. His son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, has not yet publicly confirmed whether he intends to maintain his father’s position.
In addition, Iran is at war with the US and Israel. During the conflict, Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh was killed, and his successor Mehrdad Akhlaghi was approved by parliament at a virtual session due to fears of attacks. US President Donald Trump has warned of possible new strikes on Iran, which strengthens arguments in Tehran in favor of possessing a nuclear deterrent.
Official position and limitations
Despite the rise in revisionist sentiment, official Tehran continues to state that its nuclear program is peaceful. Iran remains a party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), which prohibits non-nuclear states from acquiring atomic weapons. US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard previously told the Senate that Iran is not building nuclear weapons and that Khamenei has not authorized the resumption of the weapons program suspended in 2003.
The calls by Iranian parliamentarians to create an atomic bomb signify not a decision but pressure on the Supreme Leader to change the doctrine. There is no confirmation yet that Mojtaba Khamenei is ready to abandon his father’s fatwa or that Iran has begun enriching uranium to weapons-grade levels.
However, the very fact of public appeals — including the call in Qom, one of the key religious centers — indicates that the taboo on discussing nuclear weapons in the Iranian political class is weakening. The key question remains whether rhetoric will be followed by an institutional decision: a new fatwa, withdrawal from the NPT, or a change in the parameters of the nuclear program. The coming weeks will show whether the matter will be limited to statements by individual MPs or whether the leadership’s position will actually shift.
