The UN Security Council will convene on Wednesday to discuss Iran’s escalating uranium stockpile nearing weapons-grade levels, as requested by France, Greece, Panama, South Korea, Britain, and the U.S. The discussion will also cover Iran’s obligations to the IAEA, amidst concerns that its nuclear program may not be peaceful. The Western nations are prepared to reapply sanctions if necessary, highlighting the urgency of the situation.
The United Nations Security Council is set to hold a closed-door meeting on Wednesday regarding Iran’s increasing stockpile of uranium that is nearing weapons-grade levels, as reported by diplomats. The meeting was prompted by requests from six council members: France, Greece, Panama, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The agenda will focus on Iran’s obligation to provide necessary information to support the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in addressing unresolved issues related to undeclared nuclear materials found at various locations in Iran. Currently, Iran has not responded to inquiries about the upcoming discussions.
Despite Iran’s claims of a peaceful nuclear program, its uranium enrichment has reportedly accelerated to nearly 60% purity, which is close to the 90% threshold considered weapons-grade. Western nations argue that such extensive enrichment is unnecessary for civilian purposes and assert that no nation has pursued such levels without developing nuclear arms.
A multilateral agreement, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, was established in 2015 to restrict Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. Following the U.S. withdrawal from this deal in 2018 under the Trump administration, Iran began deviating from its nuclear commitments.
France, Germany, and the United Kingdom have indicated their readiness to impose a rapid reactivation of international sanctions on Iran should it be necessary to curb its nuclear ambitions. This capability will lapse on October 18 of the next year when the associated U.N. resolution expires. The U.S. has instructed its U.N. representative to collaborate with allies to reinstitute sanctions and restrictions against Iran in the meantime.
The upcoming UN Security Council meeting underscores the escalating concerns regarding Iran’s uranium enrichment activities, which are approaching weapons-grade levels. While Iran continues to assert its nuclear program is peaceful, the international community, particularly the Western nations, is poised to take decisive actions if compliance is not achieved. The expiration of the 2015 U.N. resolution will further complicate the responses available to address these rising tensions.
Original Source: www.usnews.com
