NPT withdrawal bill
Iranian bill to leave the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
Last refreshed: 1 April 2026
What happens if Iran leaves the nuclear treaty?
Latest on NPT withdrawal bill
- Is Iran leaving the NPT?
- Iran's Parliament filed a priority bill to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Committee approved; full vote pending.
- What is the NPT withdrawal bill?
- Iranian legislation to formally exit the treaty that governs nuclear non-proliferation, removing IAEA safeguards obligations.
- Has any country left the NPT before?
- Only North Korea, which withdrew in 2003. Iran would be the second state to leave if the bill passes.
- What happens if Iran leaves the NPT?
- Iran would no longer be bound by IAEA safeguards. Its 440 kg of 60%-enriched uranium, already beyond inspector access, would have no institutional check.
- When will the Majlis vote on the NPT bill?
- A key committee approved the bill. The full parliamentary vote is pending whenever the Majlis reconvenes.
Background
Iran's Majlis uploaded a bill to withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) as priority legislation in late March 2026, advancing alongside the Hormuz toll bill through the same parliamentary track. A key committee approved the measure, with a full parliamentary vote pending whenever the Majlis reconvenes.
The NPT, signed by 191 states, is the cornerstone of the global nuclear non-proliferation regime. Only North Korea has ever withdrawn (2003). If enacted, Iran would become the second state to leave, removing IAEA safeguards obligations and signalling a formal break with the inspection framework that has constrained its enrichment programme.
The bill's advancement reflects Tehran's legislative response to the US-led military campaign: codifying nuclear sovereignty into domestic law so that no future Ceasefire or deal can reverse it without a separate parliamentary process. Combined with the 440 kg of 60%-enriched uranium beyond inspector access, withdrawal would remove the last institutional check on Iran's path to weapons-grade material.