MOSCOW, March 30. /TASS/. Iran’s potential withdrawal from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in the wake of the US-Israeli aggression may spark a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, Natalya Nikonorova, deputy chair of the Russian Federation Council (upper house of parliament) Committee on Foreign Affairs, told TASS.

According to her, Iran has complied with its obligations under the NPT, but its nuclear sites were attacked by Israel, which is not a party to the treaty, so the logic of the deal - "the renunciation of nuclear weapons in exchange for security" - is no longer there.

"This can lead to serious consequences. If Iran withdraws from the NPT, other regional powers could also start thinking about whether it is reasonable to remain part of a system that provides no security guarantees, only imposing restrictions. I believe this is a direct path to a nuclear arms race in the Middle East," Nikonorova noted.

Meanwhile, in her words, the US and Israel are pushing Iran towards pulling out of the treaty, "after which the country will be able to develop its nuclear program without control from the IAEA." "If this happens, it’s not Tehran that will be to blame but those who destroyed what was left of the credibility of the nuclear non-proliferation regime. Still, it’s important to point out - and we hope that our Iranian colleagues will hear us - that such serious and life-changing decisions should not be made based on emotions in the middle of a conflict. Everything needs to be weighed carefully and calmly, and all factors should be taken into account," the senior Russian senator concluded.

Earlier, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, a member of the Iranian parliamentary committee on national security and foreign policy, said that the US-Israel aggression had rendered it pointless for Iran to remain a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.