Iran weighs changing nuclear doctrine if another war with US breaks out: state media

 

Iran Leadership / AFP / Via Getty Images

Iran is weighing whether to change the country's nuclear doctrine in the event of another war with the United States while insisting its nuclear program is peaceful and that it is committed to its international obligations, state media reported Monday.

"Although Iran has made every endeavour to demonstrate the peaceful nature of its nuclear program, the other side is looking for excuses," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baqaei said at a press conference, according to Iran's Fars News Agency.

"This issue is real, but at the decision-making level, we are still a member of the NPT and remain committed to our obligations," he said.

His remarks followed comments from Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei, who said Oct. 31 that Iran had not yet decided whether to change its nuclear doctrine.

“No new decision has been made yet,” he said as an internal debate continued.

“Of course, the discussion is now whether, if another war breaks out, we want to maintain the same doctrine as before,” Rezaei said.

The remarks come as President Donald Trump said Monday on the "Pod Force One" podcast with Miranda Devine that Iran wants a deal, but stressed that the U.S. would not allow Tehran to obtain nuclear weapons.