Adviser to Khamenei: Iran will build a nuclear bomb if its existence is ‘threatened’

Iran will have to “change” its nuclear doctrine if its existence is threatened by Israel, says an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, Kamal Kharrazi, raising renewed concerns about an Iranian nuclear program that Israel and others say has been focused for decades on producing an atomic weapon anyway.

“We have no decision to build a nuclear bomb, but should Iran’s existence be threatened, there will be no choice but to change our military doctrine,” Kharrazi says, as reported by Iran’s Student News Network, adding that Tehran has already signaled it has the potential to build such weapons.

“In the case of an attack on our nuclear facilities by the Zionist regime, our deterrence will change,” Kharrazi adds.

In April, Iran and Israel reached their highest level of tensions, with Tehran directly launching about 300 missiles and drones against Israel as retaliation for a suspected deadly Israeli strike on its embassy compound in Damascus.

Iran has for many years been threatening to destroy Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities, and it has been enriching uranium to levels that have no civilian use.