Iran Suggests Leaving NPT Nuclear Treaty Possible if US Tightens Sanctions - FM

Earlier in April relations between Washington and Tehran deteriorated after the US formally blacklisted the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) military unit as a foreign terrorist group, with Iran responding by first designating the US Central Command and then the entire US military as terrorists.

According to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, withdrawing from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (commonly known as the NPT) is one of Tehran's options amid the escalation of US sanctions imposed on the Islamic Republic.

"The Islamic Republic's choices are numerous, and the country's authorities are considering them,… and leaving NPT (nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty) is one of them", state-run IRIB's website quoted the minister as saying.

READ MORE: US Backtracks on Sanctions on Iran's Revolutionary Guards Days After Designation

He also announced his plan to visit North Korea, as both countries have to stand against the restrictions, introduced by Washington.

The NPT, which entered into force in 1970, and extended indefinitely in 1995, aims to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, encouraging the peaceful use of nuclear energy and nuclear disarmament.