"Missed Opportunity"; Iran Not Invited

This Thursday and Friday, Washington D.C. will host the fourth and final Nuclear Security Summit. This summit, following previous meetings in Washington, Seoul, and The Hague, was established after Barack Obama announced in 2009 that he aimed to lead efforts to secure nuclear materials internationally. Leaders and senior officials from over 50 countries and international organizations will gather in Washington for a two-day meeting to discuss international commitments regarding nuclear security. According to a report by the Arms Control Association in Washington, among the main successes of this summit so far has been the destruction of 1,500 kilograms of high-enriched uranium, the establishment of dozens of training and support centers, and the updating of domestic laws in participating countries regarding nuclear security. However, despite the expectations of some observers, Iran, which seeks to return to the international community following the nuclear agreement, has not been invited to this summit. Regarding Iran's exclusion, Radio Farda spoke with Kelsey Davenport, a senior analyst at the Arms Control Association, who recently described this exclusion as a "missed opportunity" in an article for the Atlantic Council. Following the agreement between Iran and the P5+1, we have heard from officials on both sides and the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency about nuclear cooperation with Iran, particularly in the area of nuclear security. How is it that Iran has not been invited to this summit in Washington? When the Nuclear Security Summit began in 2010, the main idea was to focus seriously on securing nuclear materials in the civilian sector and raising awareness about nuclear terrorism. At that time, Iran's nuclear program was highly controversial, and the country was advancing this program while the IAEA and the UN Security Council had called for its cessation due to concerns. As a result, inviting Iran at that time would have disrupted the focus on nuclear security. Now that an agreement has been reached with Iran and the country is implementing this agreement, it is regrettable that Tehran has not been invited to this final summit, as it would have been a good opportunity for Iran to take steps to strengthen nuclear security. While the nuclear agreement has alleviated concerns about Iran acquiring nuclear weapons, Iran still has a responsibility to the international community and specifically to the region it is located in to demonstrate that its nuclear materials are secure against threats and infiltration. Did you expect such obstacles in Iran's return to the international community regarding nuclear issues? Iran's nuclear activities have been contentious for over a decade, and it is not surprising that the country's return to the international nuclear order would take time. However, this is a missed opportunity, and the planners of this summit may have been overly eager to maintain the participant list from the previous three meetings instead of allowing Iran the opportunity to take actions in this area and strengthen its nuclear security. Ms. Davenport, do you think political considerations in Washington played a role in this? Between 2012 and 2014, the participant list did not expand, and this trend continued in 2016. When this summit was being planned, the goal was to involve fewer countries in the process to ensure that results were consolidated and that progress was made at each summit. However, I believe that even this would have been a good political decision to send the message to the international community that Iran has responsibilities regarding nuclear security and also to give Iran the opportunity to collaborate with other regional countries in this area. Many do not pay attention to the fact that the Bushehr power plant is located in a seismically active area or that it could be targeted for sabotage. If something were to happen to this power plant, it would have serious repercussions for the entire region. Therefore, giving Iran the opportunity to cooperate with other regional countries that are taking action in this area could have been a confidence-building regional measure. Are you aware of Iran's willingness to participate in this summit and take action regarding nuclear security? I have not heard from Iranian officials about their willingness or unwillingness, and I do not know if they have expressed a desire to participate in this summit. However, if we look at the nuclear agreement, it defines specific steps regarding the possibility of cooperation in nuclear security, which I believe indicates Iran's willingness to strengthen its capabilities in this area. Iran seeks to find international allies in this area to cooperate with and benefit from training and updating equipment regarding nuclear security, especially in its active reactors. Hannah Kavyani has been collaborating with Radio Farda as a reporter since 2007. During this time, she has closely followed political and diplomatic developments, including the ups and downs related to Iran's nuclear file and the negotiations leading to the nuclear agreement between Iran and global powers.