Iran Nuclear Deal Needed to Maintain Regional Stability: UN
The UN Secretary-General has underscored the importance of the JCPOA and has encouraged all countries to support it.
Although the Iran nuclear deal could improve regional stability if fully implemented, increased tensions have highlighted the risks posed by escalation, the UN’s Political and Peacebuilding Affairs chief told the Security Council on December 22.
The UN Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo was speaking during a virtual meeting on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the July 2015 accord that set out rules for monitoring Iran’s nuclear programme and a pathway to easing sanctions.
The JCPOA was signed by Iran alongside the European Union and five permanent members of the Security Council: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. However, Washington withdrew in May 2018.
“Iran nuclear issue has global peace and security implications. With JCPOA, countries concerned showed that dialogue and diplomacy, supported by a united Security Council, could forge a path to resolving this issue. We hope they and the Council can do so again,” Ms. DiCarlo said in her tweet.
She noted that recent years have been characterized by “attacks on critical infrastructure, heated rhetoric, and heightened risk of miscalculation. Such actions deepen the differences related to the Plan and render efforts to address other regional conflicts more difficult,” she said. “We call on all concerned to avoid any actions that may result in further escalation of tensions.”
As the U.S. has announced it would reinstate sanctions lifted following the deal, Ms. DiCarlo described the move as contrary to the goals of the JCPOA and Security Council Resolution 2231 on its implementation.
“We regret the steps taken by the United States when it withdrew from the Plan, as well as the steps taken by Iran to reduce some of its nuclear-related commitments under the Plan,” she said.
The JCPOA guarantees that the UN-backed international nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), will have regular access to sites in Iran and information about its nuclear programme.
While the country had complied with some provisions, the IAEA reported it had surpassed stipulated limits for enriched uranium, a critical component in nuclear power generation.
“Iran has stated its intention to remain in the Plan, and that the steps that they have taken are reversible. It is essential that Iran refrains from further steps to reduce its commitments and returns to full implementation of the Plan,” she said.
According to a UN news report, the UN Secretary-General has underscored the importance of the JCPOA and has encouraged all countries to support it.
