TEHRAN — An Iranian media outlet linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Iran has “no choice” but to develop a nuclear bomb, escalating pressure on a fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire already strained by new missile and drone attacks across the Gulf.
The article, published Sunday by the state-linked Fars News Agency, argued that Tehran must negotiate with the United States and Israel from a position of nuclear strength.
The piece was titled “No choice but to build the atomic bomb.”
Nuclear pledge under pressure
The article directly undercuts Iran’s recent pledge under a memorandum of understanding with Washington not to pursue nuclear weapons.
Under that agreement, Iran also committed to allowing International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors to regain access to its nuclear sites after oversight was suspended last year.
But Iranian officials have not yet granted inspectors access to sites hit by U.S. strikes in 2025, and Iran’s stockpiles of enriched uranium remain unaccounted for.
IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi said Friday that Iran’s stated intentions are not enough.
“In order to have certainty, we need to have a very strong system of verification as soon as practicable,” Grossi told reporters.
Fars argues for deterrence
The Fars article claimed Iran must achieve nuclear deterrence to secure “peace and calm” and force negotiations on more favorable terms.
It compared Iran’s standoff with Washington to China’s position before it developed nuclear weapons, arguing that U.S. diplomacy with Beijing became serious only after China obtained an atomic bomb.
The article also framed nuclear weapons as a way to balance power against the United States and Israel, both of which it said possess atomic weapons.
The argument marks a sharp shift in tone from Iran’s formal diplomatic position and gives voice to hard-line factions skeptical of the ceasefire process.
Gulf attacks raise stakes
The nuclear rhetoric comes as Iran and the United States trade new strikes around the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important energy chokepoint. (RELATED: Wounded Soldiers Say Pentagon Downplayed Severity Of Injuries Sustained In Iran War)
Iran launched drone and missile attacks targeting Bahrain and Kuwait after recent U.S. strikes on Iranian military sites, including surveillance, communications, and drone facilities.
Bahrain hosts the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet. Kuwait also hosts key U.S. military assets.
Kuwaiti air defenses successfully intercepted incoming ballistic missiles and drones with no reported casualties.
Bahraini authorities reported that Iranian strikes caused damage to a residential building near the international airport in Muharraq, though no casualties were recorded.
The latest exchanges follow Iranian attacks on commercial tankers in and around the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints. The waterway carries roughly 30% of global oil shipments and about 20% of liquefied natural gas supplies.
An estimated $500 million in oil and gas trade passes through the strait each day, with China, India and South Korea among the largest recipients of those exports.
Hormuz dispute threatens talks
Tehran has linked the attacks to broader demands in ceasefire talks, including its claim to administer the Strait of Hormuz and its insistence on a full Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon. (RELATED: Trump Rebukes Netanyahu, Suggests Syria Should Take Lead Against Hezbollah)
Those demands have collided with U.S. efforts to keep the strait open to international shipping and prevent Iran from using maritime traffic as leverage.
Planned follow-up talks between U.S. and Iranian officials in Switzerland were postponed indefinitely after the latest reciprocal strikes, according to reports.
The delay is a major setback for the interim ceasefire agreement reached earlier this month, which was intended to halt fighting and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran defends military buildup
Iranian officials continue to defend the country’s military posture as necessary self-defense.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Friday that Iran’s military capabilities protect the country’s “inherent right to legitimate self-defence” while also supporting “peace and stability in the region.”
Baghaei also criticized Gulf nations for what he described as aggression against a Muslim neighbor and accused them of ignoring Israel’s nuclear arsenal.
The comments reflect Tehran’s effort to frame its military escalation as defensive, even as regional governments condemn Iranian strikes as violations of sovereignty.
Ceasefire faces major test
The Fars article does not represent an official change in Iranian nuclear policy. But its publication by an outlet tied to the IRGC signals growing internal pressure on Tehran to harden its position.
For Washington, the timing is especially significant.
The Trump administration is trying to preserve a truce while demanding a long-term pause on Iranian nuclear enrichment and renewed international inspections.
Iran’s hard-liners appear to be moving in the opposite direction, arguing that only a nuclear deterrent can protect the regime and force its enemies to negotiate.
That widening gap now threatens to turn a fragile ceasefire into another round of open confrontation.
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