According to a New York Times report on Wednesday, a growing number of Iranian clerics and officials are urging Iranian leaders to withdraw their pledge not to pursue nuclear weapons. For decades, Iranian officials have publicly supported the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei's decrees prohibiting the development and use of nuclear weapons; however, US and Israeli intelligence reports indicate that there are signs Iran is enriching uranium to levels close to those required for nuclear weapons. Regional analysts say Khamenei originally hoped to maintain ambiguity regarding Iran's nuclear intentions to deter attacks without actually developing nuclear weapons; however, the US and Israel's potential wars in 2025 and 2026 have ironically increased public support for nuclear weapons in Iran. Analyst Shabani stated that this "neither possessing nor abandoning nuclear weapons" stance has forced Iran to "pay the price for a nuclear bomb it doesn't possess," and now people feel that unless it possesses an ultimate weapon, it could be subject to the control of the US or even Israel at any time.
