Iranian lawmaker Mahmoud Nabavian stated he has called on Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei to authorize the development of an atomic bomb. He posted on X that the proposal was made at a rally in the city of Qom and was met with approval from the crowd. This move comes as several Iranian lawmakers have called for a reconsideration of the country's long-standing opposition to developing nuclear weapons, contradicting a fatwa issued by the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei banning nuclear weapons. While Iranian officials have consistently maintained that their nuclear program is purely for peaceful purposes, Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, stated in a September interview that Tehran remains committed to the ruling but "does not know what will happen in the future."