Diplomacy, Not Sanctions, Key to Iranian Nuclear Situation
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 9, 2010
Washington, D.C. – Today, experts at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation responded to the passage on June 9 of a fourth round of sanctions against Iran by the United Nations Security Council.
The Center applauds the Security Council for constructing a resolution with targeted sanctions that isolate the specific entities and individuals that have not fully cooperated with the International Atomic Energy Agency and obstructed compliance with safeguard protocols and open inspections as dictated by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. However, the Center reaffirms that sanctions are merely a tool. They alone will not compel Iran to halt its enrichment program.
The Center’s Director of Nuclear Non-Proliferation, Kingston Reif, emphasized that, “Iran is still years away from producing an actual deliverable nuclear weapon, assuming of course that it actually does decide to produce nuclear weapons, which it has not yet done.”
The Obama administration’s policy of engagement and multilateralism has isolated Iran and strengthened the U.S. ability to secure international support to put additional pressure on Iran.
“Diplomatic engagement should underscore the need for Iran to agree to stronger IAEA involvement and acceptance of the Additional Protocol,” said Mary Slosson, Scoville Fellow at the Center, “which ensure greater IAEA oversight and flexibility in nuclear inspections.” While Iran has the right to peaceful use of nuclear energy, it must fulfill its commitments under the NPT, which means full cooperation with the IAEA and a commitment to non-proliferation.
Iran, the United States, the members of the UN Security Council and a large majority of the international community just spent a month of dedicated diplomacy at the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference. Through their month-long diplomatic effort, they reached consensus and agreed to the same action plan on disarmament and non-proliferation for the next five years. Diplomacy can and does work.
Laicie Olson, Senior Policy Analyst at the Center, said that, “hopefully this will clear the path for the Obama administration to further negotiate with Iran while encouraging Iran to cooperate in confidence-building measures.”
The Center reaffirms that military strikes, either by Israel or the U.S., would be disastrous. In addition to merely delaying any enrichment program, such a strike would only further polarize an already delicate situation in the Middle East and Central Asia.
The Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation is one of the nation’s oldest and largest organizations dedicated to reducing and eventually eliminating nuclear weapons.
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