BEHIND THE IRAN HEADLINES Series, October #, 2024, Alireza Jafarzadeh, NCRI-US Deputy Director
According to new intelligence obtained by the Iranian Resistance from inside Iran, the regime’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, has ordered the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to expedite and complete the development and production of nuclear weapons.
A confidential IRGC report addressed to the relevant officials in the nuclear project reveals Khamenei’s justification for this escalation. It says while Tehran’s missile capability is a key part of the regime’s “deterrent power,” the “ongoing war in the region” and its potential expansion require a “higher level of deterrence.”
The report argues that the regime’s current military balance will not suffice for the “next stages” of conflict. It calls for a shift in the regime’s nuclear doctrine to create a new power dynamic.
The report warns that in a “classical battle” against more technologically advanced enemies, the regime could face severe setbacks, making the development of nuclear weapons the “final step” to securing the Iranian regime’s survival.
In another report after the regime’s second missile attack on October 1, it was stated that in “Operation True Promise 2,” ballistic missiles “Khorramshahr, Ghadr, Emad, Kheibar, Qiam, Shahab-3, and the hypersonic Fat’h-1 were used,” but “repeating similar missile attacks will not bring any new achievements.” Therefore, the next step must be to establish a balance with “massive destructive power” and a “higher level of deterrence.”
Khamenei’s push for nuclear armament is a calculated move to ensure his regime’s survival amid increasing internal and external pressures. This nuclear agenda has been part of the regime’s strategy since the 1990s. Over the years, the Iranian Resistance has held 120 press conferences exposing Tehran’s secret nuclear sites.
In particular, the August 2002 revelation of the nuclear sites in Natanz and Arak triggered, for the first time, the IAEA inspections of Iranian nuclear sites, which have continued to date.
It is urgent for the international community to trigger the “snapback mechanism” of UN Security Council Resolution 2231 and restore sanctions on the Iranian regime’s nuclear activities. Further delays only provide the regime more time to advance its nuclear ambitions. Ultimately, the only solution to the nuclear threat and the regime’s malign activities is the overthrow of the regime by the Iranian people and their organized Resistance.