This decision of Iran created panic in the Middle East, America and Israel are also on alert mode.

Iran Nuclear Weapons Program News In Hindi: Italy’s prestigious think tank Indian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI) has made an important and shocking claim regarding Iran’s nuclear program.

According to the report, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in October gave in-principle approval to develop small nuclear warheads for ballistic missiles. ISPI says the decision was taken after the June war with Israel, which revealed some weaknesses in Iran’s defense capabilities.

Permission to develop small nuclear weapons

According to the report, Khamenei had been opposing any step related to nuclear weapons for many years. They neither permitted the enrichment of uranium to weapons-grade nor the development of nuclear weapons that could be fired from missiles. He maintained this stance despite constant pressure from Iran’s security agencies and especially the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).

However, ISPI claims that in October Khamenei made policy changes of limited scope. According to the report, he allowed the development of small nuclear weapons for ballistic missiles but has still not given approval to increase uranium enrichment beyond 60 percent. ISPI assesses that Iran’s air defense system did not prove to be as effective as expected during the June war.

Iran has 441 kg uranium

Whereas only its medium range missiles were effective. After this, the Iranian leadership came to the conclusion that real and permanent deterrence against Israel and America is possible only with nuclear weapons.

According to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) data, as of June 13, 2025, Iran had 441 kg of uranium enriched up to 60 percent. This is considered the highest level ever for any non-nuclear country. According to experts, 60 percent enrichment is very close to weapon-level 90 percent. A US report of November 2024 said that if this uranium is further enriched, Iran may have material capable of making more than a dozen nuclear weapons.

Technical and strategic challenge

ISPI also says that with modern centrifuges it may take only a few weeks to reach 60 percent to 90 percent enrichment. However, developing small and effective nuclear weapons that can fit on long-range missiles still remains Iran’s biggest technological and strategic challenge.

At present these claims of ISPI have not been independently confirmed. Iran’s opposition organization National Council of Resistance of Iran has also claimed that in October 2024, Khamenei had ordered the Revolutionary Guards to speed up the process of manufacturing nuclear bombs. But international intelligence agencies and the IAEA have not confirmed these claims.

Also read:- Tension on Thailand-Cambodia border for the third week; Peace talks continue, but the echo of bullets still persists

At the same time, American intelligence agencies assess that as of August 2025, Iran is not actively making nuclear bombs and Khamenei has not formally given permission to restart the nuclear weapons program. In such a situation, ISPI’s report has definitely started a new debate in global diplomacy and security equations.