Iran considering to leave NPT: Zarif

Iranian Foreign Minister has stated that it can also consider quitting the nuclear treaty which was signed to stop the spread of nuclear weapons as the US administration has tightened the sanctions on Iran. Tensions between the US and Iran have further risen ever since the Trump administration has pulled out from the Iranian Nuclear Deal in 2018 and re-imposed sanctions on the Iranian regime.
It was earlier in the month that the elite Revolutionary Guards of Iran had been blacklisted by the United States, earlier in April and demanded that all the buyers of Iranian oil stop their purchases by May 1 or they will also have to face sanctions.
The IRIB’s website stated that the Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has said “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”.
Even in past Iran has threatened to walk out of NPT as US President Donald Trump had taken the move for scraping the 2015 deal with the world powers like the US, Russia, China, Germany, France and Britain.
In a separate development, the Chief of Staff of the Iranian armed forces had said, the IRGC is the force which is responsible for the security in the Gulf Waters and even the Strait of Hormuz for the Republic of Iran. The IRGC has not seen any change in behaviour of the US military towards the elite force even after blacklisting. Major General Mohammad Baqeri stated “US warships are obliged to respond to the IRGC on the passage of the Strait of Hormuz… and until yesterday they have been answering IRGC questions, and we have not seen a change in their procedures”.
Lieutenant Chloe Morgan, the Central Command of US Naval Forces said, “The Strait of Hormuz is an international waterway. Threats to close the strait impact the international community and undermine the free flow of commerce. The US along with our allies and partners is committed to freedom of navigation and remains well positioned and postured to preserve the free flow of commerce, and we are well prepared to respond to any acts of aggression”.
The blacklisting of IRGC has been labelled as absurd by the Iranian Foreign Minister but has also stated that Iran will not resort to a military response unless the United States changes the rules of engagement with the elite forces. The US military has said that it will not change its behaviour towards the elite forces even after blacklisting.