Going nuclear … Iran security chief warns Tehran may seek nuclear weapons after US strikes
Any credible signal that Iran might reconsider its non-nuclear posture adds a new layer of geopolitical risk premium to oil markets already pricing in Strait of Hormuz disruption and an active blockade. Coming from the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council rather than a peripheral commentator, the remarks carry more institutional weight than earlier statements from hardline figures and could sharpen market attention on any future move by Tehran to restrict IAEA access or accelerate enrichment activity. The timing, alongside Washington’s escalating economic pressure campaign, suggests Tehran may be using nuclear ambiguity as a bargaining chip rather than signalling an imminent policy change, which traders may treat as rhetorical leverage for now rather than a hard catalyst. Continued uncertainty over Iran’s nuclear trajectory is likely to keep a floor under risk premia in oil and support safe-haven flows until clearer signals emerge, whether through diplomatic channels or a formal doctrine announcement from Tehran.
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Iran seeking nukes makes this earlier news look tame:
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Iran’s security council chief suggests Tehran could revisit its non-nuclear posture, framing US pressure as the trigger for a possible doctrine shift.
Summary:
- Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said Trump’s actions against Iran have created “nuclear insecurity" and increased global interest in acquiring nuclear weapons.
- Rezaei is a former IRGC commander appointed to the SNSC role on August 9, 2026, as the Supreme Leader’s direct representative on the council.
- He argued Iran has complied with international nuclear rules, remained an NPT member and allowed inspections, while Washington’s attacks undermined the case for nonproliferation.
- The remarks come as Trump presses an “Economic D-Day" campaign, described as the most crushing economic operation ever taken against a country, targeting Iran’s oil smuggling networks, financial transfers, exchange houses, ship registries and front companies.
- Trump has said Iran will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon.
- Analysts have previously read Rezaei’s appointment as reflecting a possible shift in Iran’s security doctrine toward more assertive deterrence.
Iran’s top security official has suggested Tehran could reconsider its longstanding rejection of nuclear weapons, arguing that US attacks on Iran have strengthened the global case for acquiring an atomic bomb as a deterrent, Iran International reported. The comments from Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, mark one of the most direct nuclear signals yet from a figure now sitting at the centre of Tehran’s security decision-making.
In an interview with state broadcaster IRIB reported by ANI, Rezaei said that instead of nuclear security, Trump had created nuclear insecurity, and argued that the attacks had pushed the world’s desire for the atomic bomb higher, particularly once other countries saw that IAEA membership and NPT compliance failed to stop an American strike. He maintained that Iran itself had complied with international nuclear regulations, remained a member of the Non-Proliferation Treaty and permitted inspections under international safeguards, framing Washington’s campaign as undermining rather than reinforcing the nonproliferation system it claims to defend.
Rezaei’s position gives the remarks particular weight. He was appointed to the SNSC secretary role on August 9, replacing Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, and was named in the same decree as Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei’s direct representative on the council, a position that places him at the centre of decisions on war, regional proxies and diplomacy. A former commander-in-chief of the Revolutionary Guards, Rezaei has previously flagged the possibility of a doctrine shift, telling Iranian media in May that continued threats could push Tehran to withdraw from the NPT altogether.
The latest remarks land as President Trump pushes what he has called an “Economic D-Day" against Iran, describing it as the most crushing economic operation ever taken against any country and targeting oil smuggling networks, financial transfers, exchange houses, ship registries and front companies used to sustain Tehran’s economy, according to reporting cited by the Tribune. Trump has separately insisted Iran will never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon, warning that Washington would not permit its use.
Analysts remain split on how to read Rezaei’s rise and rhetoric. Some see his appointment as domestic cover intended to give any eventual negotiated settlement with Washington military credibility and internal buy-in. Others, including international relations academics cited by Al Jazeera, view it as evidence that Iran’s security establishment is shifting toward a doctrine of offensive deterrence built on the threat of punishment rather than reliance on diplomacy. With sanctions escalating, the Strait of Hormuz still contested and nuclear ambiguity now being voiced from the top of Iran’s security apparatus, the coming weeks are likely to test whether this is calculated pressure on Washington or an early marker of a genuine strategic shift.
This article was written by Eamonn Sheridan at investinglive.com.