Statement by Ambassador at the UN Security Council
meeting on Non-Proliferation.
I thank Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo and the UN Secretariat
for its role supporting implementation of resolution 2231.
I also thank Ambassador Olof Skoog for his briefing and
Ambassador Frazier for her briefing and her work as Facilitator.
After months of negotiations, viable texts were tabled last year
that provided Iran with the chance to return all parties to the
JCPoA.
Iran refused this opportunity and has instead continued its
nuclear escalation, threatening international peace and security
and demonstrating disregard for resolution 2231.
Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile currently exceeds JCPoA limits
by more than 21 times.
Its enrichment capabilities have expanded to over 2,500 powerful
advanced centrifuges, suitable for nuclear weapons purposes.
Building this capacity has given Iran irreversible gains in
technical knowledge, which the JCPoA sought to limit.
And Iran is launching missiles that could be capable of
delivering nuclear weapons and is testing technologies directly
applicable to intermediate and intercontinental range ballistic
missiles.
There is overwhelming evidence that Iran continues to provide
material support to Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine,
supplying UAVs with a range of over 300km.
It does so knowing that Russia uses them to target civilians and
civilian infrastructure.
Iran has also continued to supply increasingly complex weapons
systems to the Houthis in Yemen in violation of 2231.
This jeopardises regional security and undermines regional
stability and prosperity.
Colleagues, the restrictions in resolution 2231 were intended to
build confidence in Iran as a responsible international actor.
Transition Day sunsets are due in October and it is clear that
the trajectory envisioned back in 2015 has not materialised.
Iran will need to take substantial steps to reverse its
escalatory approach if it is to start to rebuild that confidence.
