TEHRAN- Iran’s Permanent Representative to the UN has expressed the Islamic Republic’s adamant objection to the participation of a representative of Ukraine at the UN Security Council meeting, saying the UK is attempting to divert attention away from its failure to uphold its obligations under the JCPOA.

Addressing the Security Council meeting on Thursday, Saeed Iravani said, “We strongly object to the Presidency of the Council extending an invitation to a member state that has no direct or indirect relevance to the agenda item of this meeting.”

The full text of Iravani’s speech is as follows:

At the outset, we would like to state our position clearly and on the record regarding the participation of the representative of the Republic of Ukraine in today's meeting, under the agenda item of non-proliferation, and focusing on the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

We strongly object to the Presidency of the Council extending an invitation to a member state that has no direct or indirect relevance to the agenda item of this meeting. We perceive this action as neither constructive nor in good faith. Instead, it appears to be a cynical attempt to divert attention from the pressing matter at hand—the implementation of the JCPOA—and the failure of certain Western parties to fulfill their obligations under the agreement.

Let me make it clear: This meeting and Resolution 2231 (2015), have absolutely no connection to the conflict in Ukraine. The invitation extended to the representative of Ukraine for this meeting represents an abuse of the process and a misuse of the Council's presidency, serving the political agendas of certain states. Moreover, this action flagrantly contradicts established practices of the Council and its provisional rules of procedure and runs counter to the principles outlined in the UN Charter.

Iran categorically rejects the unfounded allegations made by Ukraine. Iran maintains its impartial stance on the Ukrainian conflict. We have patiently awaited the alleged evidence from Ukraine, following the preliminary meeting between Iranian and Ukrainian experts.  If the intention is truly to address and resolve the issue at hand, it is crucial to refrain from employing illegal and politically motivated measures. Instead, Iran's request should be acknowledged and earnestly addressed in a constructive manner.

The use of the so-called "documents" entailing inconsistent photos and questionable "open-source" information, and abusing UN procedures to release it as evidence of alleged violations, as Ukraine and the UK have done, is unprofessional, deceptive, and unconstructive.

I must reiterate once again that the repeated request to the Secretariat to conduct the so-called “investigation” lacks a legal basis. Neither resolution 2231 nor the relevant Note 44 by the President of the Security Council (S/2016/44) authorizes such an unlawful mandate. Any finding or conclusion by the Secretariate based on such illegal activity is null and void.

It is quite evident that certain Council members are deliberately attempting to divert international attention away from the root causes of the current situation concerning the implementation of the JCPOA and the ongoing material violations of Resolution 2231 by the United States since its illegitimate withdrawal from the agreement in 2018.

Consequently, we firmly declare that we do not recognize the presence of Ukraine in this meeting, and we have no intention of addressing the baseless allegations put forth by the representative of Ukraine or certain member states against my country during this meeting regarding the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Having clarified our position on the matter, I would now like to address the substantive issue pertaining to the agenda item, namely the implementation of the JCPOA.

We thank Ms. Di-Carlo, the Under-Secretary-General, and Ambassador Frazier, of Malta, for their briefings.

I would like to begin with an expression by the Secretary-General, in his report, describing the JCPOA as “the best available option”. Indeed, it is. That is why today, the Council members unwaveringly reaffirm their resolute support for the restoration of the JCPOA and called for its full implementation by all sides as the only viable course of action.

We hold the view that while the JCPOA might not have been flawless and impeccable, it was undoubtedly the most viable option at the time given the circumstances, and it continues to be the optimal and valuable choice among the available options.

Regrettably, certain members of the Council, notably the United States, have chosen to turn a blind eye to reality and overlook the root causes contributing to the challenges associated with the JCPOA. In hypocritical behavior, they blame and accuse Iran without considering their own failures to uphold their obligations.

If a party should be blamed for the JCPOA’s current situation, it is the United States for its 2018 illegal unilateral withdrawal therefrom and re-imposition of all its sanctions against Iran based on its notorious and yet failed “maximum pressure policy”. Likewise, the E3/EU must also be blamed for significant non-performance with their explicit legal obligations under the JCPOA and resolution 2231.

Since then, the United States has expressly and aggressively forced all other UN Member States to either violate resolution 2231 or face severe punishment. This bullying conduct by a permanent member of this Council is unprecedented.

In response to these instances of significant non-compliance, Iran had no option other than to take certain remedial measures in exercising its rights under the JCPOA’s paragraphs 26 and 36. Iran’s objective was simply to restore the delicate balance in reciprocal commitments under the agreement.

Today, certain Council members attempted to change the place of the victim and the culprits and referred to Iran’s remedial measures as if Iran was the party that withdrew from the JCPOA. Taking remedial measures is our explicit right, and unlike the U.S. illegal actions that have irreversible consequences, all our measures are reversible as soon as the sanctions are lifted in a verifiable manner.

Additionally, the Vienna talks are stalled not because of Iran, but due to the lack of political will by the United States and E3, including for their  internal political considerations. We are still prepared for the resumption of the negotiations, should the other sides be ready to do the same.

While Iran is fully committed to its obligations under the NPT and its safeguards agreement with the IAEA and continues its cooperation with the Agency, certain claims against Iran’s peaceful nuclear program – obviously based on the disinformation disseminated by the Israeli regime – serve no purpose other than putting political pressure on Iran, which will lead nowhere.

In exercising its inalienable rights and committed to its international obligations, Iran is fully determined to vigorously pursue its peaceful nuclear activities, including enrichment at various levels required, under the monitoring and verification of the IAEA.

Iran’s nuclear program has continuously been scrutinized by the IAEA’s “most robust” monitoring and verification – as repeatedly declared by the Director-General of the Agency.

Our recent voluntary measures, in the implementation of the Iran-IAEA Joint Statement of 4 March 2023, to ensure the continuity of the Agency’s knowledge through installing surveillance cameras at centrifuge manufacturing workshops, is indeed a testament to our continued constructive cooperation with the IAEA as well as our commitment to transparency.

In addition, the IAEA has recently found Iran’s explanation regarding highly enriched uranium of a few particles containing up to 83.7% uranium-235 detected at one location to be satisfactory, with no further questions on the matter. As such, significant progress has been made on safeguards issues, and as the IAEA has recently confirmed, the concerns regarding depleted uranium particles in one location have been effectively addressed and resolved.

Instead of Parrot-like repeating disinformation of the Israeli regime on Iran’s peaceful nuclear program by certain Council members, they have been expected to be courageous enough today to dully acknowledge the positive outcomes of our constructive cooperation with the Agency.

Given the purview and competence of Resolution 2231 and that the resolution has nothing to do with regional subjects, referring to such issues is an abuse of process.  Iran is committed to preserving regional peace and security through the active involvement of all regional States based on full respect for international law, mutual respect, good neighborliness, cooperation, and dialogue.

Obviously, raising regional issues by some Council members is only aimed at diverting attention away from their own massive military build-up in the region as well as the unbridled transfer of their highly sophisticated weaponry to certain regional States, and above all, to cover up the crimes and destabilizing practices of the Israeli regime, whose clandestine weapon of mass destruction programs and military adventurism continue to threaten the peace and security of our region and beyond.

While our full observations on the Secretary-General’s report on resolution 2231 are contained in my letter dated 3 July 2023 to him, I would like to make a few comments.

The report has once again failed to address the root causes of the current situation of the JCPOA, namely, the U.S. withdrawal therefrom. It has also remained silent on the U.S. and E3/EU systematic material breach of their explicit legal obligations under resolution 2231.

The Secretariat’s engagement in the so-called “investigation” to allegedly “examine” the alleged violation of the resolution is clearly beyond the mandate entrusted to it by the Council through Resolution 2231 and Note S/2016/44 by the Council’s President. According to these two documents, the Secretariat has no mandate whatsoever on the implementation of resolution 2231 other than providing “administrative support” for the Security Council’s work. Therefore, these ultra vires activities by the Secretariat are unacceptable and shall be avoided.

I must again reiterate our consistent position that Iran’s space and missile programs, fall outside the purview or competence of resolution 2231.

In conclusion, I would like to reiterate that pressure, intimidation, and confrontation are ineffective. If the United States and the E3/EU demonstrate genuine political will, tackling the current challenges of the JAPOA is well within reach. For our part, we are prepared to resume negotiations at the earliest opportunity to restore the JCPOA and ensure its full implementation by all.