Reports indicate that the Iranian parliament plans to vote on whether to withdraw from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. This would be a significant setback for nuclear non-proliferation in the region.
CND has repeatedly raised concerns that the US/Israeli illegal and unprovoked war on Iran – including the bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities – would risk Iran’s withdrawal from the NPT. The US and Israel have continually sabotaged diplomatic efforts to resolve concerns around Iran’s nuclear programme. In 2025, as talks continued between the US and Iran, Israel bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities, in breach of the UN Charter and the International Atomic Energy Agency statute. In response Iran announced that it would reduce cooperation with the IAEA and that its parliament was working on legislation to withdraw Iran from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
In February this year, despite talks securing significant progress – including Iran’s agreement to dilute its enriched uranium stockpile – the US and Israel yet again sabotaged this progress. The illegal bombardment of Iran has killed thousands of civilians through targeted bombing of residential areas and civilian infrastructure. Such sabotage is not new, including Trump’s withdrawal from the landmark 2015 nuclear deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
Despite the ongoing illegal war on Iran, in September, Britain, France, Germany and the US submitted a resolution to the International Atomic Energy Agency calling for Iran to be reported to the UN Security Council for non-compliance of its safeguarding commitments and not facilitating IAEA inspections. This motion was carried with 23 votes in favour, three votes against and eight abstentions.
This is just the latest example of the outrageous nuclear hypocrisy in which nuclear-armed Israel has received no international condemnation or sanctions, despite its refusal to acknowledge its nuclear weapons programme or agree to inspections of its nuclear facilities.
Britain has now expanded sanctions again against Iran, imposing new financial, trade and transport restrictions on the country. This will further worsen the living conditions for the Iranian people.
The most effective way to ensure Iran remains within the NPT is for the US and Israel to end the illegal war on that country. The US must engage in a diplomatic route to resolve the crisis. The British government should be using its diplomatic influence to lobby the US and Israel to attend the UN conferences to secure a Treaty for a nuclear weapons-free Middle East.