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NPT withdrawal bill
LegislationIR

NPT withdrawal bill

Iranian bill to leave the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

Last refreshed: 1 April 2026

Key Question

What happens if Iran leaves the nuclear treaty?

Timeline for NPT withdrawal bill

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Common Questions
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 Only North Korea has ever withdrawn (2003).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.