WANA (Jun 05) – Speculation has intensified within international geopolitical circles following claims by prominent political analysts that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian allegedly informed Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Iran’s readiness to unveil a nuclear weapon.

 

The claim was initially brought to light by former CIA analyst Larry Johnson, who alleged that Islamabad had transmitted a message to Washington warning that Tehran might soon debut a nuclear bomb.

 

Renowned geopolitical analyst Pepe Escobar subsequently repeated the claim, asserting that President Pezeshkian explicitly shared this development with PM Sharif during a phone conversation, stating that Iran would, if necessary, unveil its nuclear capability through a domestic test explosion.

 

Intentional Leak to Western Intelligence?

Revisiting the topic on the Judging Freedom podcast, Larry Johnson emphasized the credibility of his informant, stating the intelligence originated from a high-level source with direct access to such sensitive data rather than unreliable channels. Johnson argued that the recent abrupt shift in U.S. diplomatic tone and behavior toward Tehran could be directly linked to this intelligence.

 

Furthermore, Johnson posited that the phone call between Pezeshkian and Sharif may have purposely been conducted over an unsecured line. He suggested that Iranian authorities might have intentionally allowed Western and Israeli intelligence agencies to intercept the conversation as a calculated strategic warning.

 

Marandi’s Ambiguous Response

The host of Judging Freedom and former Fox News anchor, Andrew Napolitano, pressed prominent Iranian academic and advisor Dr. Seyed Mohammad Marandi for verification regarding the alleged phone call. Marandi’s refusal to explicitly confirm or deny the narrative prompted Napolitano to characterize the response as a “shrewd and diplomatic” evasion.

 

During the interview, Marandi noted a nuance in Shia jurisprudence, explaining that religious decrees (fatwas) can adapt based on the variables of time and location.

 

He clarified that while this does not imply the current Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyed Mojtaba Khamenei, would directly alter the decree of his late predecessor, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, a new leader possesses the theological authority to issue a distinct fatwa following the passing of the previous leader.

 

Nonetheless, Marandi maintained that there are currently no concrete signs pointing to a fundamental shift in Iran’s established nuclear doctrine.

 

Historically, the late Iranian leader Seyed Ali Khamenei had issued a binding fatwa declaring the production, stockpiling, and use of weapons of mass destruction—including nuclear arms—as strictly and eternally forbidden (haram) under Islamic law. Iranian officials have routinely pointed to this religious prohibition for years to counter Western proliferation concerns.