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| United Nations monitors are so much worried about Iran nuclear deal | Photo: File |
A senior United Nations official has urged world powers and Tehran to act now to save the Iran nuclear deal, warning that "the success or failure of the deal matters to all of us."
In 2015, Tehran reached an agreement with the United Kingdom, Germany, France, the United States, Russia and China on Iran's nuclear program. The agreement is known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the deal in 2018 during his first term as president. Iran then began to backtrack on various nuclear-related commitments under the deal.
Diplomats from Europe and Iran met late last month to discuss how to work to reduce regional tensions in the Middle East, including Tehran's nuclear program.
Meanwhile, Trump has won the November election and is re-elected as President of the United States. He will be sworn in on January 20.
"It is time to start working quickly on this (Iran nuclear deal)," UN political chief Rosemary DeCarlo told the Security Council. "Since the responsibility lies with the JCPOA partners and the United States, its success or failure is important to all of us. The region (Middle East) cannot afford to remain in a state of instability any longer."
Earlier this month, the UK, France and Germany sent a letter to the Security Council saying they were ready to lift all international sanctions on Iran if necessary to prevent it from becoming a nuclear weapons state.
"We will take all diplomatic steps to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, including lifting all sanctions if necessary," UK Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations James Kaimuki told the Security Council on Tuesday.
In this regard, Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeed Iravani, said that reposing sanctions on Tehran is illegal and will have the opposite effect. He added, "You do not have the weapons to impose sanctions that you are thinking of abusing to intimidate Iran. Iran is making it clear that if any such provocative action is taken, it will be retaliated against and it will be met with an equal response."
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN nuclear watchdog, said in a report this month that Iran is dramatically increasing its stockpile of enriched uranium. The country is now stockpiling 60 percent pure uranium. About 90 percent pure uranium is needed to make nuclear weapons. Similar allegations have also been made from the UK, France and Germany.