WANA (Jun 10) – The Islamic Republic of Iran has officially declared that it has obtained strategic documents related to Israel’s nuclear program. This announcement is not merely a display of intelligence power—it carries a deeper message: Tehran now possesses both detailed insight into Israel’s nuclear facilities and the strategic legitimacy to reconsider its own nuclear doctrine.

 

Iran’s Intelligence Minister, Esmail Khatib, confirmed: “The documents we obtained from the Zionist regime are related to their nuclear facilities.”

 

He further emphasized: “Complete nuclear files have been acquired and transferred. Documents concerning the U.S., Europe, and other countries have also been obtained. These documents significantly enhance Iran’s offensive capabilities.”

Until recently, Tehran responded to international pressure by citing a religious decree from Iran’s Supreme Leader—an authoritative fatwa grounded in Islamic law—that prohibits the pursuit of nuclear weapons. But the paradigm has now fundamentally shifted.

 

The question is no longer whether Iran wants the bomb, but rather: if Iran is threatened with nuclear weapons, doesn’t it have the right to recalibrate its deterrence strategy?

 

Iran’s answer is clear: Yes, it does.

Not long ago, Ali Larijani, senior advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader, stated in a televised interview: “If the U.S. or Israel bombs Iran, we will be forced to head toward building the bomb.” This was not the first time a high-ranking Iranian official hinted at a shift in nuclear posture.

 

Kamal Kharrazi, former Foreign Minister and senior foreign policy advisor to the Supreme Leader, has made similar remarks on multiple occasions. In his most recent statement, he said: “If Iran faces an existential threat, it will revise its military doctrine regarding nuclear weapons—and currently, it has the capability to produce them.”

 

In a climate where Israel not only possesses nuclear arms but repeatedly threatens to strike Iran’s nuclear sites, the principle of “proportional retaliation” emerges as a legitimate strategic doctrine—and that could mean change is on the horizon.

 

Revisiting the Nuclear Fatwa of Iran’s Supreme Leader: Change or Adaptation?

WANA (Nov 09) – The issue of nuclear weapons and the stance of the Islamic Republic of Iran on this subject remains one of the most contentious topics in international politics. A key element of Iran’s policy is rooted in a fatwa (religious decree) by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, which prohibits the use and development […]

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According to international law, a state under existential threat has the right to respond proportionally. Now that Israel continues to maintain a nuclear arsenal and openly threatens to attack Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, the principle of proportional response has become both legally and strategically activated.

 

Iran’s access to Israel’s classified nuclear documents is not just an intelligence feat—it proves that the very regime that constantly speaks of the “Iranian threat” has itself been systematically expanding its arsenal of weapons of mass destruction. These revelations offer the global public a clearer picture of the structural threats confronting Iran.

 

Iran’s religious decree against nuclear weapons still stands—and has been reiterated many times. However, this fatwa was never meant to imply abandoning deterrent capabilities. If a hostile regime—one that already possesses nuclear arms and threatens to use them—confronts Iran, then redefining the nuclear doctrine becomes not a violation of the fatwa, but a defensive act to preserve national survival.

 

In this light, the Supreme Leader’s fatwa is not a limitation, but a moral criterion—a framework for distinguishing between aggression and legitimate defense: If the adversary has the bomb and issues threats, the fatwa does not prevent proportional action. Instead, it legitimizes such action within a defensive moral code.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei attends a graduation ceremony for armed Forces Officers’ Universities at the Imam Ali academy in Tehran, Iran October 10, 2023. Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency)

As Iran’s Supreme Leader recently warned: “If they threaten us, we will threaten them. If they carry out their threat, we will respond in kind. If they endanger the security of the Iranian nation, we will undoubtedly strike at their security.”

 

Although Iran has not formally announced any doctrinal shift, it is now clearly positioned to do so—without facing legitimate legal or strategic accusations. In effect, by exposing Israel’s nuclear files, Tehran has not only taken the upper hand in the intelligence war but also paved the way for a legitimate review of its nuclear doctrine.

Infiltrating the Heart of Israel’s Nuclear Project

Moreover, according to Iranian claims, Tehran now knows where, what, and how much Israel possesses—down to the operational details. In other words, it has gained real-time intelligence over what was once considered “Israel’s most classified military file.”

 

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council stated in an official communiqué about the recent intelligence operation inside Israeli-occupied territory: “The Zionist target bank is now on the table of Iran’s armed forces.”

 

Important Statement by the Secretariat of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council

WANA (Jun 09) – The Secretariat of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council issued a statement declaring that the bank of Zionist targets is now on the table of Iran’s armed forces. It warned that in the event of any aggression, the hidden nuclear facilities of the Zionist regime will be targeted.   The Council emphasized that […]

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The statement added: “Today, access to this information and the completion of the intelligence-operational cycle enables the fighters of Islam to immediately retaliate against any Israeli assault on Iran’s nuclear facilities by launching proportionate attacks on Israel’s hidden nuclear sites. Any act of aggression targeting Iran’s economic or military infrastructure will be met with direct and proportionate retaliation.”

 

IRGC Commander-in-Chief General Hossein Salami referred to the trove of sensitive nuclear, military, and infrastructure-related documents as “Al-Aqsa Storm 2,” saying: “Without doubt, this sensitive intelligence will make Iran’s missile targeting far more precise.”

 

Tehran is no longer hiding its security or military operations. From Operation “True Promise” to the extraction of Israel’s nuclear archives, everything is being disclosed. This is not just a tactic—it signals Iran’s entry into a new phase of strategic deterrence.

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Commander-in-Chief Major General Hossein Salami speaks during a ceremony to mark the first anniversary of the late Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi, who was killed in a helicopter crash, in Tehran, Iran, May 15, 2025. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)

When intelligence operations are publicly announced, it means they are meant to send a message: “We know where you are, what you have, and how to hit you.”

 

In recent months, Israeli officials have repeatedly threatened to strike Iranian facilities in Natanz, Fordow, and Arak. Now, with Israel’s nuclear plans exposed, Tehran has made it clear: not only can it respond—it now holds the ability to strike Israel’s own high-value targets.

 

Ironically, Israel’s nuclear bombs have now become a security liability for the regime itself.

 

In the past, Israel sought to showcase its infiltration capabilities through sabotage at Natanz and the theft of Iranian nuclear documents—including acts that could have led to radioactive leaks.

 

But Iran’s successful infiltration of Israel’s nuclear assets means those very weapons now pose a strategic threat to Tel Aviv itself.