UN Chief urges Iran to stop violating nuclear deal

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – The Secretary-General of the United Nations is trying to persuade Iran to resume its obligations under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear arms deal, the Times of Israel reports. In a report to the Security Council published Tuesday, Antonio Guterres called on Iran to address concerns about its decision last year to begin, among other violations, the enrichment of uranium beyond the agreed limits.

In his report, Guterres also raised as a matter of regret the US withdrawal from the JCPOA in 2018 and its re-imposition of sanctions on Iran.

The Secretary-General said that, until 2019, the JCPOA had been largely viewed in the international community as “a testament to the efficacy of multilateralism, diplomacy, and dialogue, and a success in nuclear nonproliferation,” the Times of Israel said.

Guterres went on to emphasize the need to support international relations with the Iranians, stressing “the importance of initiatives in support of trade and economic relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran, especially during the current economic and health challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic,” the Times of Israel said.

Under the terms of the JCPOA, Iran would be given economic incentives to restrict its nuclear program. However, since the Trump administration’s withdrawal from the deal, Tehran has begun violating the agreement in order to pressure the remaining JCPOA parties into making up for the financial losses incurred by US sanctions.

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