Iran May Rethink Nuclear Policy in Light of Threat From Israel - IRGC

For several years, the Iranian leadership has stated that it does not intend to create nuclear weapons, and the development of atomic energy is exclusively for peaceful purposes.

In response to potential threats from the Israel against Iran's nuclear facilities, Brigadier General Ahmad Haghtalab, commander of Iran's Nuclear Centers Protection and Security Corps of the IRGC warned that any aggression against Iran would result in a forceful response, comparing it to the historical True Promise operation.

Iran may also reconsider its nuclear policy in the light of the threat from Israel.

"If Israel attempts to use the threat of attacking our country's nuclear centers as a means to pressure Iran, it is possible and conceivable that the Islamic Republic may reconsider its nuclear doctrine and policies, potentially deviating from previously announced stances," Haghtalab was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency.

Speaking to the Tasnim news agency, the commander asserted that Iran is ready to repel any Israeli attacks on its nuclear facilities, as it has identified the location of "all Israeli nuclear facilities" and is ready to strike at them at any moment in the event of aggression from Tel Aviv

Haghtalab emphasized that Iran has faced threats for a long time, including sabotage and terrorism, from Israel.

"From the very beginning, Iran was ready to counter threats from Israel. Thanks to the use of passive defense plans, as well as the most modern weapons, thanks to the dispersal of nuclear facilities throughout Iran, we are ready to counter any threat from Israel to our nuclear facilities," Haghtalab said.

The IRGC general emphasized Iran's commitment to following international protocols that govern the protection of nuclear facilities, while also stressing the nation's readiness to defend against any acts of aggression. In light of recent attacks on Iranian interests, such as the assault on the Iranian embassy compound in Syria, Haghtalab attributed the safety of Iran's nuclear complexes to the country's defensive strategies and state-of-the-art facilities.

On April 13, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched a massive drone and missile attack on Israel in response to Tel Aviv's airstrike on the consular annex building adjacent to the Iranian Embassy in Damascus on April 1, which destroyed the building and killed seven members of the IRGC, including two generals. Following that strike, Tehran vowed to retaliate.

According to Iranian Armed Forces Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri, the True Promise operation was aimed at striking Israel’s intelligence center located in the Jabal ash Shaykh mountain range along the border with Syria, which provided the information for the attack on the Iranian Embassy in the Syrian capital of Damascus, as well as the Nevatim air base, which houses F-35 fighter jets. Bagheri told the Fars news agency on April 14 that the facilities were largely destroyed and left inoperable.

The New York Times reported, citing two Israeli officials, that Iran had launched 185 drones, 36 cruise missiles and 110 surface-to-surface missiles. Israel Defense Forces spokesman Daniel Hagari said Israel had intercepted 99% of the aerial targets fired by Iran, including all attack drones.