Iranian Lawmaker Calls for Netanyahu’s Death, Rejects Nuclear Diplomacy, and Demands Weapons Development

Apr 23

Executive Summary

As U.S.-Iran nuclear talks cautiously move forward, extremist Iranian Majles member Mohammad-Qasim Osmani is openly rejecting diplomacy and advocating for the development of nuclear weapons. In a social media speech, Osmani claimed that military confrontation is inevitable and argued that only nuclear arms will give Iran the deterrence it needs to negotiate with the West. This same lawmaker previously called for the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in retaliation for the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. His remarks highlight the ongoing tensions within Iran’s political system, where hardliners are working to undermine diplomatic progress in favor of violent escalation

Analysis

Mohammad-Qasim Osmani, a sitting member of Iran’s Majles, posted a speech on Instagram on April 7, 2025, calling for an accelerated push toward nuclear weapons. He asserted that Iran cannot rely on negotiations alone and must develop the tools for military deterrence. According to Osmani, nuclear capabilities are the only way to counter what he described as the “outrageous demands of Global Arrogance,” a phrase often used by Iranian hardliners to describe the United States and its allies.

This radical position directly contradicts the official Iranian government line during its ongoing nuclear negotiations with the U.S., where Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has insisted that Iran’s program is peaceful and guided by religious principles forbidding weapons of mass destruction. Osmani’s public defiance lays bare the internal divisions within the Islamic Republic, where the power struggle between pragmatic diplomats and militant ideologues plays out in real time on the global Omani's belligerence is not new. In August 2024, he delivered a speech to parliament calling for the death of Netanyahu in revenge for the Israeli assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh. He demanded a second “Operation True Promise,” referring to Iran’s large-scale missile barrage on Israel earlier that year. His comments framed Netanyahu’s killing as the only acceptable form of retaliation and claimed that nothing less would be sufficient.

The Iranian government’s official posture remains one of engagement—at least superficially. The second round of U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations just wrapped in Rome, with both sides expressing cautious optimism. Yet, the conditions outlined by Supreme Leader Khamenei’s advisors remain rigid: no dismantling of centrifuges, no halt to enrichment, and no discussion of Iran’s missile program. Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, has acknowledged “good progress,” but Israeli and U.S. intelligence agencies are watching closely for signs that Tehran is merely stalling to buy time.

Osmani’s remarks, which blatantly endorse nuclear militarization and political assassination, are particularly dangerous in this context. They feed Western suspicions that Iran is not negotiating in good faith and raise the risk of preemptive action by Israel. They also expose the depth of anti-Israel sentiment at the highest levels of Iranian power—sentiment that is not just rhetorical but could shape real policy outcomes.

With Iran’s proxies escalating attacks on Israeli and U.S. targets, and Israeli leaders continuing to consider military options against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, the presence of hardliners like Osmani in the Iranian legislature casts a long shadow over already fragile talks. Should the current round of diplomacy fail, voices like his will likely drive Iran further from the negotiating table and closer to the nuclear threshold.