Effort to restore Iran nuclear deal ‘remains elusive’, Security Council hears

Restoring the Iran nuclear deal to its full and effective implementation “remains elusive”, the UN’s top political affairs official said on Monday, adding that participating countries remain at odds with each other.

Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, was updating ambassadors in the Security Council.

The United States has not returned to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), as the deal is formally called. Washington has not lifted or waived the unilateral sanctions it reimposed after its withdrawal in May 2018 nor has it extended waivers over oil trading with Iran.

As for Tehran’s policies, the government has not reversed any of the steps it has taken since May 2019 which are inconsistent with its nuclear-related commitments.

The 2015 JCPOA lays out the rules for monitoring Iran’s domestic nuclear programme and paved the way for US sanctions to be lifted. It was agreed by Iran, the five permanent members of the Council (China, France, Russia, United Kingdom and United States) plus Germany together with the European Union.

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Ms. DiCarlo also referred to May’s report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in which the nuclear watchdog “observed again that, regrettably, its verification and monitoring continues to be ‘seriously affected by the cessation of Iran’s implementation of its nuclear-related commitments under the JCPOA’”.

While the IAEA had not been able to verify the total stockpile of enriched uranium in the country since February 2021, “it estimated that Iran maintains a total enriched uranium stockpile 30 times the amount allowable under the JCPOA,” she said.

This includes increased quantities of uranium enriched to 20 per cent and 60 per cent.

“Such a stockpile of enriched uranium and level of enrichment remain very concerning,” she added.

Pursue dialogue

Further in her briefing, Ms. DiCarlo reiterated the call for JCPOA participants to the plan and the US “to pursue all possible avenues for dialogue and cooperation”.

“In the current climate, it is crucial to prioritise multilateralism and diplomacy and to set a course that promotes peace and security,” she highlighted.

 

Iran nuclear deal: A summary

• What is the Iran nuclear deal? The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) sets out rules for monitoring Iran’s nuclear programme and paves the way for the lifting of UN sanctions.
• Which countries are involved? Iran, the five members of the Security Council (China, France, Russia, UK, US) plus Germany and the European Union.
• What is the UN’s involvement? A UN Security Council resolution was adopted in 2015 to, among other things, ensure the enforcement of the JCPOA and guarantee that the UN’s atomic energy agency, IAEA, continues to have regular access to more information on Iran’s nuclear programme.
• Why is the deal at risk? The Trump Administration pulled out of the deal in 2018 and reimposed sanctions. In July 2019, Iran reportedly breached its uranium stockpile limit and announced its intention to continue enriching uranium, posing a more serious proliferation risk.