Iran Nuclear Weapons Ban Debate, Rezaei Says
Iran’s national security chief Mohsen Rezaei says the Iran nuclear weapons ban is under debate in Tehran if hostilities resume, although no decision has been taken on any change. Rezaei made the remarks on state television on Saturday, Reuters reported.
The comments mark a rare public discussion of the ban. Rezaei stressed the debate has produced no new decision, either in government or in the leadership.
Rezaei also spoke about a letter from US Vice President JD Vance. He said he has read it but has not responded, because it has not been made public yet. “Their tone has completely changed, and this is a very good sign that the Iranian nation has consolidated victory and authority,” he told state broadcaster Press TV in an interview.
Iran nuclear weapons ban: what Rezaei said
Rezaei framed the doctrine question as conditional. Iran is debating whether to maintain its longstanding ban on nuclear weapons in the event that hostilities resume, he said. He added that no decision on any changes has been taken, a point Reuters carried in its report of his television appearance.
The timing matters. The United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, and an April ceasefire has held only through mediation by Qatar and Pakistan. Washington has since warned of possible new strikes, while Rubio said Trump has not decided on fresh strikes and prefers diplomacy. The public debate about the weapons ban signals that Iran is weighing its options, without committing to a change.
Claim about Turkiye and Saudi Arabia
Rezaei also claimed that during a quadrilateral meeting in Tehran with Makkah Alliance members, Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman told him Israel “will target Turkiye and then Saudi Arabia after Iran”, according to state broadcaster IRIB.
That claim has not been independently confirmed, and it should be read as Rezaei’s account of a private conversation, not as an established fact. It does, however, show how Tehran is framing the conflict to its neighbours: as a threat that extends beyond Iran to Turkiye and Saudi Arabia, the two other leading members of the Makkah pact alongside Pakistan.
Why Pakistan is watching closely
For Pakistan, the stakes are direct. Qatar and Pakistan have mediated since the April ceasefire, and a Qatari delegation arrived in Tehran on Friday for talks with senior Iranian officials. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has since said mediators’ nuclear proposals are under discussion, and an Iranian delegation has headed to Qatar to continue talks.
Pakistan’s military leadership has tracked the mediation closely. Feature Pakistan reported that Pakistan’s top military spokesperson is cautiously optimistic about the Iran-US mediation, after a Makkah pact delegation visited Tehran this week.
A return to hostilities would also hit Pakistan through energy and shipping. Tanker fires and mine claims in the Strait of Hormuz have already deepened the strait crisis, as Feature Pakistan covered in the Hormuz tanker fires report. Any disruption of that waterway raises fuel costs across the region, including in Pakistan.
What happens next
Rubio’s position gives diplomacy room to run: Trump has not decided on new strikes, has set no deadline, and talks have never stopped. The Qatari and Pakistani mediation remains the live channel, with Tehran’s conditions still on the table: sanctions relief, frozen funds, and reopened shipping routes on its terms.
Frequently asked questions
What did Mohsen Rezaei say about nuclear weapons?
Rezaei told state television that Iran is debating whether to keep its longstanding ban on nuclear weapons if hostilities resume. No decision on any change has been taken.
What is the Vance letter?
The letter was sent to Tehran by US Vice President JD Vance through Qatari mediators as part of an effort to revive negotiations. Rezaei said he has read it but has not responded, because it has not been made public yet.
What did Rezaei claim about Turkiye and Saudi Arabia?
Rezaei claimed Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman told him during a meeting in Tehran that Israel will target Turkiye and then Saudi Arabia after Iran. The claim comes from state broadcaster IRIB and has not been independently confirmed.
What happens next on Iran-US talks?
Indirect talks continue through Qatari mediators, with an Iranian delegation headed to Qatar for further consultations. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said President Donald Trump has not decided on new strikes and has set no deadline.
