UN Report on Resolution 2231 Released; Iran Urged to Refrain from Missile Testing

The third "six-month" report by the UN Secretary-General on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 2231 and Iran's nuclear agreement with six world powers, known as the JCPOA, was released on Thursday. Jeffrey Feltman, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, urged all member states of this agreement to adhere to their commitments. According to Reuters, Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, has requested Iran to refrain from missile tests as they could escalate tensions. In this context, on Thursday, Security Council members evaluated the Secretary-General's report regarding the implementation of Resolution 2231. During this meeting, Nikki Haley, the US representative to the UN, stated that the Secretary-General's report indicates that Iran has "consistently and deliberately" violated Resolution 2231, and the Security Council has taken no action in this regard. According to the UN website, Jeffrey Feltman mentioned in the Security Council meeting that the Secretary-General believes that full implementation of the JCPOA will ensure that Iran's nuclear program remains peaceful and allows for transparency and verification. Iran and six world powers reached an agreement on the "Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action" (JCPOA) in July 2015. Under this agreement, Iran suspended many of its nuclear activities in exchange for the suspension or lifting of international nuclear sanctions against it. Feltman further emphasized that this agreement provides Iran with an opportunity to expand its economic and trade relations with the international community. He informed the 15 members of the Security Council that the Secretary-General has not received any reports or information through public sources regarding the supply, sale, or transfer of nuclear equipment and materials to Iran in violation of Security Council Resolution 2231. In another part of his remarks, the Under-Secretary-General referred to Iran's ballistic missile test on January 29 of this year, stating that separate letters were sent to the Secretary-General by Iran and Israel. Additionally, four countries, namely the US, France, the UK, and Germany, expressed concern over this missile test in a letter. He further emphasized that there is no consensus among Security Council members regarding whether Iran's missile test in March 2016 violates Resolution 2231. Security Council Resolution 2231, issued after the Vienna nuclear agreement to endorse it, requests Iran to refrain from developing ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads. Iran asserts that its missile tests do not contradict the nuclear agreement, claiming that "the tested missiles were not designed to carry nuclear warheads." In another section, Jeffrey Feltman referred to the seizure of a weapons shipment on March 20, 2016, in the northern Indian Ocean by the French Navy, stating that the Secretary-General concluded after inspecting these weapons that the origin of this shipment was Iran. The UN Under-Secretary-General concluded his remarks by emphasizing that the JCPOA is entering its third year of implementation, and the Secretary-General calls for all parties involved in this agreement to fully and effectively fulfill their responsibilities. Resolution 2231 was issued in July 2015 to endorse the "Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action" (JCPOA). Meanwhile, the US representative to the UN stated in the Security Council meeting that the Security Council has not taken even a small effective step in response to Iran's repeated violations. She added, "We must show Iran that we will not tolerate violations of UN resolutions." Nikki Haley emphasized that the Secretary-General's report clearly shows that Iran is violating the Security Council resolution, and now the question is what the Security Council will do about it. The US representative further stated that Iran's destabilizing and destructive role in the Middle East goes far beyond illegal missile tests. She added that Iran continues to support terrorist groups from Syria to Yemen, Lebanon, and Iraq. Iranian weapons, military advisors, and smuggled arms are sources of conflict in the region, making it more difficult to resolve these crises. According to the Associated Press, despite the US representative's criticisms, representatives from the European Union, Germany, France, and the UK welcomed Iran's adherence to the JCPOA. However, these countries also expressed concern over Iran's missile tests.