According to a media report linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Iran has argued that it has “no choice” but to develop nuclear weapons to guarantee its security, despite Tehran’s recent commitment not to pursue nuclear weapons under the initial agreement with the United States.The article, titled “No alternative but to build a nuclear bomb”, was published by Iran’s state-affiliated Fars news agency on Sunday and said Tehran should negotiate with its adversaries from a position of strength and strategic deterrence.The article draws a comparison between Iran’s current standoff with the United States and China’s strategic position during the 1970s, saying, “For Iran to achieve the peace and stability it needs, it must reach complete nuclear deterrence so that remaining issues can be resolved through dialogue.”Comparing China’s relations with the United States in the 1970s, the article argued that Beijing was only able to negotiate with Washington after it developed nuclear weapons.The article states, “The US twice threatened China with nuclear attack, similar to Trump’s recent nuclear threats against Iran – but when did Kissinger secretly meet with the Chinese and then negotiate? It was when China built an atomic bomb.”It further argued that nuclear weapons would help establish strategic balance with countries possessing nuclear arsenals.“Nuclear deterrence means you can reach a balance of power against the US and Israel, which have nuclear bombs – not so that there is no war, but so that the scope of the conflict remains manageable,” it said.The comments come despite a memorandum of understanding signed between Washington and Tehran earlier this month, under which Iran agreed to allow International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors access to its nuclear facilities after monitoring was suspended last year.As part of the agreement, Iran also promised not to develop nuclear weapons, while the United States called on Tehran to suspend all uranium enrichment activities for 20 years.The article’s publication comes as IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi has renewed calls for unrestricted access to Iran’s nuclear facilities. “The Iranian government has clearly confirmed that it is not their intention (to develop nuclear weapons), but certainly intentions are not enough,” Grossi told reporters on Friday.“To be certain, we need a very robust system of verification as soon as possible,” he said.Although Iran has agreed to allow IAEA inspectors to return in September, it has not yet granted access to nuclear sites damaged during US strikes ordered by President Donald Trump in 2025. The whereabouts of Iran’s enriched uranium reserves are also unclear.Iranian officials have continued to defend the country’s military capabilities as essential to national security. “Iran’s military capabilities ensure the Iranian people’s inherent right to legitimate self-defense in the face of aggression and crimes, as well as guarantee peace and stability in the region,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghai said in a post on X on Friday.Baghai also criticized the Gulf countries and accused them of “remaining silent regarding the Israeli nuclear arsenal” as well as “engaging in aggression against their Muslim neighbor.”