"The letter, published by the state-run Fars news website, was not directly addressed to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei because his commands cannot be second-guessed by other authorities. Instead, it was directed at members of the Supreme National Security Council, which is in charge of the nuclear file and includes the president, judiciary and parliament chiefs. Iran has long argued that its nuclear programme is for civilian purposes and it has no intention of pursuing an atomic bomb,"
"The lawmakers argued that a fatwa, or an ultimate religious ruling, issued by Khamenei about two decades ago that prohibits the use of nuclear bombs does not technically forbid building or keeping them as deterrence. They warned that Israel has reached the brink of madness, attacks without respecting any international obligations and kills innocent people. Such rhetoric has intensified significantly among the more hardline elements of Iran's establishment in the aftermath of Israel's surprise attacks on Iran in June that triggered a 12-day war"
Seventy members of Iran's parliament signed a letter urging a change in the country's defence doctrine and calling to start building nuclear weapons. The letter was sent to the Supreme National Security Council rather than Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, citing that his orders cannot be second-guessed. Lawmakers argued that Khamenei's fatwa bans use but does not technically forbid building or retaining nuclear arms as deterrence. Lawmakers cited aggressive Israeli actions and escalating rhetoric after Israel's surprise June attacks and a 12-day war. Iran suspended cooperation with the IAEA following actions by France, Germany and the UK.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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