Today, the United States expressed commitment to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapoon.
On her remarks at a Security Council Briefing on Iran and Resolution 1737, U.S. Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Rosemary DiCarlo said Iran’s illicit nuclear program presents a grave threat to international peace and security.
“Today we are confronted with an unsustainable and dangerous status quo.” -Ms. DiCarlo
Without swift and serious progress to resolve the international community’s doubts about Iran’s nuclear program, there will be further instability in an already tense region, Ms DiCarlo stressed.
Recently, the Director General of the IAEA has released yet another report, which once again affirmed that Iran is not complying with its international nuclear obligations and is not cooperating fully with the IAEA.
The Director General reports that Iran continues to make progress in its nuclear program.
Iran has begun to enrich uranium to the near 20-percent level at the previously covert Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, which is buried in a hardened bunker underground near Qom, according to Ms. DiCarlo
“Iran has tripled its capacity to produce such uranium, which is much closer to weapons grade.” -Ms. DiCarlo
She stresses that in spite of good-faith outreach by the IAEA, Iran has chosen to stonewall it rather than to offer any real cooperation.
Reports say Iran twice denied IAEA requests to visit a nuclear facility at Parchin, where the Director General reported that Iran may have conducted high-explosive tests relating to the development of a nuclear weapon.
The Director General’s latest report illustrates Iran’s continued disregard for the Council’s clear demands, most notably that it suspend all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities and heavy-water related activities, Ms. DiCarlo underlined.
She calls for the Council to take the necessary steps to hold Iran accountable.
“The 1737 Committee and the Panel of Experts are critically important to this effort.” -Ms. DiCarlo
She underlines that both the Committee and the Panel must fully and robustly carry out their mandates, including by implementing the Panel’s recommendations and responding to reported sanctions violations.
She cites better implementation of existing sanctions can help slow down Iran’s nuclear progress, affording the world more time to resolve concerns.
The 1737 Committee conducted meeting last month to discuss sanctions violations and to receive a briefing on certain Iranian ballistic-missile-related activities that are being conducted in violation of Resolution 1929.
The United States remains seriously concerned that the Panel’s 2011 Final Report has not yet been released to the full UN membership.
Ms DiCarlo says ten months have passed since the report was submitted.
There is simply no excuse for members to continue to delay and obstruct its release, she cited.
“We strongly urge that this issue be resolved before our next session.” -Ms. DiCarlo
The United States remains determined to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
The United States remain committed to doing so through a comprehensive diplomatic approach, which includes substantive engagement and unprecedented pressure.
She stresses that resolving the issue will require Iran to come to the table quickly and seriously to discuss in a forthright way how to establish that the intentions of their nuclear program are, as they claim, peaceful.
On June 2010, the IAEA declared that Iran has amassed more than two tons of enriched uranium. This amount of enriched material is enough for two nuclear warheads. The report further stated that inspectors discovered that nuclear equipment was removed from a Tehran research laboratory after the IAEA had asked for details about the work. Iran’s resistance to the increases concerns over possible military dimensions to Iran’s nuclear weapons development program and its cover-up.
Iran did not cease its nuclear weapons development in light of the first three rounds of UNSC sanctions. The United States, Russia and European Union states say Iran is using the recent deal agreed with Turkey and Brazil about a nuclear fuel swap to play for time.
In addition, the United States has taken a series of actions to confront the threat posed by Iran and significantly increase pressure on Iran to comply with the full range of its international obligations and to address the international community’s longstanding concerns regarding its nuclear program.
These steps include: expanding sanctions to target the supply of goods, services, technology, or support (above certain monetary thresholds) to Iran for the development of its petroleum resources and maintenance or expansion of its petrochemical industry; designating eleven individuals and entities under Executive Order 13382 for their role in Iran’s WMD program; and identifying the Islamic Republic of Iran as a jurisdiction of “primary money laundering concern” under section 311 of the USA PATRIOT Act.
