Zarif warns Iran will pull out of nuclear non-proliferation treaty

Tehran would leave the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty “if Europeans refer the nuclear issue to the U.N. Security Council,” the foreign minister warned.

By World Israel News Staff 

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Monday that Tehran would leave the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)  “if Europeans insist on their unjustifiable behavior or refer the nuclear issue to the U.N. Security Council,” reports the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).

The NPT is “a landmark international treaty whose objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and to further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament and general and complete disarmament,” states the U.N. Office of Disarmament Affairs on its website.

It was “opened for signature in 1968” and “entered into force in 1970. On 11 May 1995, the Treaty was extended indefinitely. A total of 191 states have joined the treaty,” it adds.

Last week, Britain, France, and Germany triggered a dispute mechanism to try to bring Iran back into compliance with an unraveling 2015 nuclear accord (JCPOA) which was reached between Tehran and six world powers including the three which are potentially referring the matter of Iran’s violations to the U.N., as well as Russia, China, and the U.S.

President Donald Trump pulled out of the Iran nuclear accord in 2018 and began reimposing sanctions on the Islamic Republic, arguing that the deal was not comprehensive enough.

The JCPOA – Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action – was said to be aimed at ensuring that Iran did not develop nuclear weapons, though only for a certain number of years, as sanctions against Tehran would then be dropped.

After the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 deal, Iran looked to European countries who were partners in reaching the accord for help to keep the agreement alive. When the Europeans did not act to Tehran’s satisfaction, Iran began violating the deal.

Monday’s statement by the foreign minister on pulling out of the NPT, as well, marked a further escalation in the Iranian’s apparent determination to attain military weapons.

Regime leaders have repeatedly stated their desire to destroy the State of Israel.

Britain, France, and Germany stated last week that there was “no choice, given Iran’s actions, but to register today our concerns that Iran is not meeting its commitments under the JCPOA  and to refer this matter to the Joint Commission under the Dispute Resolution Mechanism, as set out in paragraph 36 of the JCPOA.”

Iran has countered by charging that the accusations made by the EU are unfounded, criticizing European powers for not fulfilling their own obligations, and arguing that the EU’s resorting to the dispute mechanism lacks legal standing.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who is overseeing the process of the dispute mechanism clause, maintained that the aim of the move of employing the clause is to save the 2015 deal.

“The dispute resolution mechanism requires intensive efforts in good faith by all. As the coordinator, I expect all JCPOA participants to approach this process in that spirit,” Borrell said.

“In light of the ongoing dangerous escalations in the Middle East, the preservation of the JCPOA is now more important than ever,” he added.

If the process fails, however, the U.N. Security Council could impose sanctions on Iran.