Iran said it could revise its anti-nuclear weapons doctrine if threatened by Israel against its nuclear sites, Tasnim News Agency reported on April 18.

Brigadier General Ahmad Haqtalab, Commander of Iran’s Nuclear Protection and Security Corps, said on April 18 that country could quickly change its policy if that happens.

Iran launched more than 300 drones, cruise and ballistic missiles on Israeli territories in response to the bombing of its embassy compound in Damascus that killed seven top military officials. Israel has vowed to respond, declaring Iranian nuclear sites as one of its potential targets.

Iran has so far opted not to produce nuclear weapons despite effectively having enough enriched uranium to make such weapons.

The country’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, announced previously that producing nuclear weapons was “haram” and against Islam.

Nevertheless, Haqtalab warned that those polices might change based on developments if Israel strikes its nuclear sites.

“If the fake Zionist regime uses threats of attacking our nuclear sites as a means to pressure Iran, a revision in the Islamic Republic’s nuclear doctrine and policies and rowing back on its previous considerations would be possible and conceivable,” he said.

He also said Iran is ready to counter any threat against its nuclear sites and will take reciprocal action in case of any aggression by Israel.

Iran has pinpointed and gathered enough data about all Israeli nuclear centres and will target them with advanced weapons, he warned.

Nuclear Protection and Security Corps is a branch of the Islamic Republic Guards Corps in charge of defending atomic facilities.

Earlier,  Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said the Islamic Republic sent messages to the United States both before and after its retaliatory strike on Israel in bid to prevent further escalation in the region, ISNA reported on April 18.

Iran’s top diplomat said the US was informed that Tehran did not seek to heighten tensions in the region, but on the contrary, “what can escalate tensions is Israel’s behaviour.”

“We also told them that we would not target US bases and interests unless the US provides military support to Israel during our operation,” he said before his trip to New York to attend the United Nations Security Council Meeting on the issue of Palestine on April 18.

The messages were sent to the US through diplomatic channels, according to Amir-Abdollahian, especially the Swiss embassy that represents US interests in Iran.

Earlier, Mojtaba Abtahi, an Iranian lawmaker, had said in conference that after the operations against Israel, the Swiss ambassador was summoned for the first time not to the foreign ministry, but the Islamic Republic Revolution Guards Corps headquarters, to convey Iran’s warnings.

“We warned the US that if take the tiniest military measure, we will destroy the whole region over their heads,” he said.