Guterres' Fifteenth Report on Resolution 2231; Iran Should Avoid Further Violations of the JCPOA

The Secretary-General of the United Nations published his fifteenth six-month report on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 2231 in five sections and 22 paragraphs, urging the Islamic Republic to refrain from further violations of the JCPOA. Guterres' fifteenth report, like previous reports, focuses on the implementation of the provisions outlined in the annex of this resolution since the publication of the fourteenth report on December 12, 2022. In the first section: Introduction, Guterres noted in the first paragraph of his report that, referring to the signing of the JCPOA between world powers and Iran on July 14, 2015, he stated: "After eight years, I still believe that the JCPOA is the best available option to guarantee the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program." The Secretary-General of the UN stated in the second paragraph that the continued lack of progress in returning to full and effective implementation of the JCPOA, despite the acknowledgment of all signatory parties that it is the only sustainable option, is discouraging. He further added that the commitment of the JCPOA parties to a diplomatic solution indicates that lasting peace and security can only be achieved through negotiation and cooperation. In the third paragraph, Guterres called on the United States to lift sanctions against Iran as stipulated in the JCPOA and to extend exemptions regarding oil trade with Iran. He also urged the Islamic Republic to refrain from taking further steps contrary to the JCPOA, to neutralize actions taken since July 2019, and to address other concerns raised by the JCPOA parties and other countries in Resolution 2231. The Secretary-General of the UN, in the fourth paragraph, welcomed the important role of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in monitoring and verifying Iran's nuclear activities, and welcomed the March agreement between the Islamic Republic and the IAEA to expedite the resolution of major safeguards issues and Tehran's readiness for further IAEA monitoring and verification activities. In paragraphs five and six, while welcoming the efforts of the Islamic Republic of Iran and regional governments to improve bilateral relations and reduce tensions, he expressed hope that these actions would create favorable conditions for achieving the goals outlined in the JCPOA. In the second section: Implementation of provisions related to nuclear activities, according to the seventh paragraph of the Secretary-General's report, since the publication of the fourteenth report in December 2022, the Security Council has received 10 new notifications regarding Iran's activities consistent with the JCPOA that did not require Security Council approval but should have been reported to the Council or the Joint Commission of the JCPOA or both. In the eighth paragraph, Guterres described the extension of exemptions regarding certain specific projects related to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, as stated in the JCPOA and the annex of Resolution 2231 for another 180 days, as a "significant and fundamental step." These exemptions include operations, training, and services at Unit 1 of the Bushehr nuclear power plant; the transfer of enriched uranium out of Iran in exchange for natural uranium; the transfer of enriched uranium to Iran for the Tehran research reactor and the transfer of nuclear waste and spent nuclear fuel out of Iran; the transfer, storage, or stockpiling of heavy water outside Iran; and the modernization of the Arak reactor. In paragraph 9, the report refers to paragraph 3 of the annex of Resolution 2231, which requests that the Security Council ask Iran not to undertake any activities related to ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons. In paragraph 10 of his report, Guterres stated that the Israeli representative at the UN sent him a letter claiming that the test of the Qaim 100 satellite launch vehicle by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on March 4 of this year was inconsistent with paragraph 3 of the annex of Resolution 2231. According to Guterres, representatives from France, the UK, and Germany also referred to the test of the Khorramshahr-4 or Khyber missile on May 25 and the test of the Fattah missile on June 6 of this year, deeming them to fall under paragraph 3 of the annex of Resolution 2231 and thus a violation of this resolution by Iran. The Secretary-General noted in paragraph 11 that representatives of the Islamic Republic at the UN and Geneva sent letters claiming that the Islamic Republic's missile and space program is within the framework of "legitimate rights and in full compliance with international law" and falls outside the scope or jurisdiction of Resolution 2231 and its annexes. Paragraphs 12 and 13 refer to paragraph 4 of the annex of Resolution 2231, which states that all states must obtain prior Security Council approval for the supply, sale, or transfer of items, materials, equipment, goods, and any technical services to Iran that may be used for the development of nuclear weapon delivery systems or the development of drones with a range of over 300 kilometers. In paragraph 14, the report mentions the seizure of components of ballistic missiles from Iran by the British Navy in February of this year and the subsequent letter from representatives of the UK, France, and Germany in May, which stated that this action by Iran was taken without prior approval from the Security Council and therefore constituted a violation of Resolution 2231. In paragraph 15, it is stated that representatives of Russia and Iran expressed concern in separate letters regarding the seizure of vessels carrying these equipment by the UK. The Iranian representative claimed that there is no evidence to prove that the origin of the seized vessels and their cargo is the Islamic Republic of Iran. According to paragraph 16, although the Secretary-General has not yet examined the components seized by the UK, the images provided of this equipment suggest similarities to remnants of missiles fired by the Houthis at Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. In paragraph 17, it is noted that the UK, by presenting the wreckage of two drones downed in Ukraine and comparing them with the wreckage of drones downed in the Middle East, stated that Iran violated Resolution 2231 by transferring Shahed-131 and Shahed-136 drones to Russia. Additionally, France, the UK, and Germany sent a letter in May of this year stating that Iran has violated Resolution 2231 by continuously transferring drones to Russia since October 2022. Ukraine also provided images of the wreckage of drones it has downed, stating that Iran violated the aforementioned resolution by sending Shahed-131, Shahed-136, and Mohajer-6 drones. In paragraph 18, it is mentioned that the Russian representative sent two letters in May and June stating that there is no credible evidence to substantiate the images provided by the UK and Ukraine and the claims made by the UK, France, and Germany regarding the transfer of drones from Iran to Russia. The Islamic Republic also sent two letters, dismissing the evidence and claims of the three European powers and Ukraine as "baseless." Antonio Guterres stated in paragraph 19 of his report that he continues to examine the existing information regarding the potential transfer of drones from Iran to Russia and will report his findings to the Security Council in due course. Guterres, in paragraph 20 of his report, referred to the invitation from the Yemeni government for him to examine the remnants of a cruise missile fired by the Houthis at the Al-Dhaba oil terminal, stating that he is reviewing the available information regarding the transfer of this missile from Iran to the Houthis and will report his findings to the Security Council in due time. In the fourth section: Implementation of asset freeze provisions, according to paragraph 21, Antonio Guterres stated that since the publication of the last report in December of last year, he has received no information regarding any actions inconsistent with the asset freeze provisions under Security Council Resolution 2231. In the fifth section: Support of the Secretary-General for the Security Council and its facilitator for the implementation of Resolution 2231, it is finally stated in paragraph 22 that the Department of Political Affairs and Peacebuilding of the Security Council, in close cooperation with the facilitator for the implementation of Resolution 2231, continues to support the efforts of the Security Council. It is worth mentioning that Security Council Resolution 2231 was adopted on July 20, 2015, and, while confirming the JCPOA signed six days earlier, annulled six previous resolutions of the Council against Iran due to the Islamic Republic's nuclear activities. Since July 2016, the Secretary-General of the United Nations has been reviewing Iran's compliance with this resolution in a report to the Security Council every six months.