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Those who believe Iran is close to a bomb - including Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Iran hawks in Congress and the Israeli government - cite last week's determination by the International Atomic Energy Agency that Iran was in violation of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty for the first time in 20 years.

South Korea briefly operated a nuclear weapons program in the 1970s before shutting it down and signing the international Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty in return for “extended nuclear deterrence” from the U.S. — the promise that Washington would use its own nuclear arsenal to protect South Korea from such an attack.

More significantly, nuclear armament would first require South Korea to withdraw from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty — a move that Town said would probably result in international sanctions.

“If we develop nuclear weapons, we will receive various economic sanctions like North Korea does now, and our economy will be dealt a serious blow,” Yoon said, while emphasizing Seoul’s commitment to the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

Iravani said Iran is allowed to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, and Nebenzia rejected alleged evidence that it was using Iranian drones in Ukraine.