European Troika: Iran's Nuclear Behavior Threatens International Security

On Thursday, Britain, France, and Germany issued a joint statement to the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), describing Iran's nuclear behavior as a "threat to international security" and calling for an end to the Islamic Republic's threats to produce nuclear weapons. The three countries, known as the "European Troika," began their statement by appreciating the professional, independent, and impartial efforts of the Agency and its unbiased reports, expressing regret that the Agency's findings are once again "very concerning." The European Troika further noted the increase in uranium enriched to 60% by the Islamic Republic, reminding that according to the Agency's assessments, the possibility of constructing a nuclear bomb with this amount of uranium cannot be dismissed. According to the statement from the three European countries, the total reserves of enriched uranium by the Islamic Republic are now 32 times the limit set in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Britain, France, and Germany added that over the past five months, the Islamic Republic has significantly increased its enrichment capacity by installing six additional cascades of advanced centrifuges in Natanz. They also addressed issues such as obstructionism towards the Agency regarding effective verification and monitoring of the Islamic Republic's nuclear program to ensure its peaceful nature, as well as the prohibition of several Agency inspectors from visiting the Islamic Republic's nuclear facilities. They continued by urging the Islamic Republic to stop escalating tensions and threatening to build nuclear weapons, return to JCPOA limitations, especially regarding enrichment, adhere to commitments made in their joint statement with the Agency in March 2023, allow the Agency to install monitoring equipment, rapidly approve and implement the Additional Protocol, and immediately revoke its summer 2023 decision banning experienced Agency inspectors from operating. Britain, France, and Germany deemed the Islamic Republic's nuclear activities as threatening to international security and called on the global community to remain resolute in preventing the Iranian government from acquiring nuclear weapons. They stated that remarks from some senior Iranian officials about the government's ability to build nuclear weapons and the possibility of changing Tehran's nuclear doctrine are inconsistent with the government's commitments under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). The European Troika concluded by requesting Rafael Grossi, the Director General of the Agency, to continue to inform the Board of Governors through periodic reports and, if necessary, emergency reports, regarding the status of the Islamic Republic of Iran's nuclear program. Earlier, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department stated that the Islamic Republic of Iran is not on the right path regarding its nuclear program. The U.S. State Department spokesperson rejected the IAEA Director General's assessment that the Islamic Republic's decision to halt the increase of uranium reserves enriched to 60% is on the right path. In response to another question from the Persian section of Voice of America regarding the likelihood of the U.S. supporting the proposed resolution by the three European countries to reprimand the Iranian government for its non-compliance with its commitments to the IAEA, the spokesperson said, "We support the resolution of the three European countries and still believe that the unity of the four countries is essential to hold Iran accountable." Previously, Reuters reported that the Islamic Republic proposed not to increase its enriched uranium reserves to 60%, provided that Western powers also refrain from adopting a resolution against the Islamic Republic at the IAEA Board of Governors. The IAEA has stated in one of its two confidential reports that the Islamic Republic has begun preliminary actions to implement this proposal. However, Western diplomats described this proposal as a "last-minute effort" to avoid condemnation and emphasized that 60% enrichment has no civilian justification and that the Islamic Republic can easily resume this process. According to this report, a resolution presented by Britain, France, Germany, and the U.S. condemns the Islamic Republic for insufficient cooperation with the Agency and requests the Agency to prepare a comprehensive report on the Islamic Republic's nuclear activities. Reuters added that this resolution is likely to be adopted, as only Russia and China traditionally oppose such resolutions. Reuters emphasized that the goal of this resolution is to increase pressure on the Islamic Republic to return to negotiations and accept new restrictions on its nuclear program. This resolution comes on the eve of the official end of the 2015 agreement and in the shadow of the Trump administration's hardline policies against the Islamic Republic. Earlier, a U.S. State Department spokesperson also stated that Washington fully coordinated with its European partners to support efforts to hold Iran accountable for its non-cooperation with the IAEA. Consultations of the Islamic Republic ahead of the Agency meeting, the submission of Western countries' resolution against the Islamic Republic to the Board of Governors, and warnings from the Islamic Republic to Europe regarding the issuance of a "resolution" against Tehran were all highlighted in diplomatic sources, indicating a new resolution against the Islamic Republic's nuclear program was presented, and the Islamic Republic's "last-minute" efforts to prevent the Agency's resolution were noted.