On Dec. 17, 2024, United States, Britain, France, and Germany urged Iran to choose diplomacy instead of continuing to expand its controversial nuclear program. “Though diplomacy is the best option, the United States also has been clear a nuclear Iran can never be an option,” Ambassador Robert Wood said at a U.N. Security Council briefing on the implementation of Resolution 2231, which endorsed the 2015 nuclear deal. “We are prepared to use all elements of national power to ensure that outcome,” he warned.
In a joint statement, the E3 – Britain, France and Germany – warned that the next 10 months “will be pivotal for both stability in the region and finding a diplomatic solution to the Iran nuclear crisis.” In October 2025, Resolution 2231 will expire along with the so-called “snapback” mechanism that could quickly reimpose U.N. sanctions on Iran for noncompliance with its nuclear obligations. Russia, an increasingly close partner of Iran’s, could veto future punitive Security Council measures on Tehran, so Western powers view October 2025 as a deadline for reaching a resolution. The following are statements from the United States and European powers.
U.S. Ambassador Robert Wood
Dec. 17, 2024 at the U.N. Security Council briefing: “Colleagues, when you look into the forces behind some of today’s most devastating and destabilizing conflicts, you see one country’s name pop up – over and over again.
“Iran.
“Iran continues to fuel conflict and instability in the Middle East and other parts of the world, and its nuclear activities continue to be of grave concern.
“The Secretary-General’s report notes Iran continues to expand its nuclear program, installing additional advanced centrifuges, and accumulating greater quantities of highly enriched uranium.
“The report issued by IAEA Director General Grossi on December 6 further exposes Iran’s relentless pursuit and continued expansion of its nuclear program.
“Iran will tell you its aims are peaceful, that they are for civilian use. But the IAEA’s report calls this into question.
“The IAEA Director General has said Iran is ramping up production of 60% enriched uranium at a pace that significantly increases its ability to rapidly produce additional material.
“All of this is happening against the backdrop of continued comments by Iranian officials suggesting Iran may decide to change its nuclear doctrine and build a nuclear weapon.
“Colleagues, we have good reason to be concerned about Tehran’s intentions. Iran’s actions suggest it is not interested in demonstrating verifiably that its nuclear program is exclusively peaceful. We must be clear in our condemnation of this dangerous conduct, and Iran’s failure to cooperate with and address the IAEA’s unresolved questions. All of us.
“Colleagues, Iran has the opportunity to change course and engage in diplomacy. Instead of expanding its program and stirring up speculation about its intentions, Iran should take actions that build international confidence and deescalate tensions.
“The United States has long believed such diplomacy as the best way to achieve a sustainable, effective solution to the international community’s concerns regarding Iran’s nuclear program.
“Though diplomacy is the best option, the United States also has been clear a nuclear Iran can never be an option.
“We are prepared to use all elements of national power to ensure that outcome.
“We are also concerned about the developments with Iran’s ballistic missile and drone programs – weapons we have seen Iran use against its neighbors, repeatedly, over the last year.
“Indeed, Tehran continues to export chaos and violence to other countries, especially in the Middle East.
“The regime openly brags about this. Iran’s own state-affiliated media has touted its country’s supply of prohibited ballistic missile technology to the Houthis – violations documented by UN experts.
“Iran was fully implicated in supplying weapons to Hizballah.
“Iran has also transferred drone technology and short-range ballistic missiles to Russia, enabling Russia to prosecute its illegal war of aggression against Ukraine.
“We know, without a doubt, Russia acquired hundreds of UAVs from Iran for use against Ukraine before October 2023 in violation of Security Council Resolution 2231.
“It’s, therefore, no surprise Russia leaps to defend Iran at every opportunity.
“But we cannot allow Russia’s dependency on Iran to deter this Council from demanding Tehran abide by its obligations under various UNSCRs, including Resolution 2231.
“We all have a role to play in condemning Iran’s brazen, destabilizing behavior.
“In our statements today, but even more importantly, through concrete action.
“Because when Iran flagrantly defies the Security Council without consequence and flouts its resolutions – when it ignores the clear and consistent concerns of the IAEA, it undermines the credibility and authority of the United Nations.
“And so, we must continue to hold Iran to account and continue to live up to our mandate to advance international peace and security.”
Britain, France and Germany
Dec. 17, 2024 in a joint statement: “Today, the Security Council will discuss the implementation of UNSC Resolution 2231, which underpins the Iran nuclear deal and sets out Iran’s nuclear commitments. This resolution is due to terminate in October 2025. The next 10 months will be pivotal both for stability in the region and finding a diplomatic solution to the Iran nuclear crisis.
“The IAEA Director General reports that at this critical juncture Iran has started to further increase its rate of production of high enriched uranium, without any credible civilian justification. The agency’s Director-General has stated several times that Iran is the only state without nuclear weapons to enrich uranium up to 60%.
“Iran’s stockpile of High Enriched Uranium has also reached unprecedented levels, again without any credible civilian justification. It gives Iran the capability to rapidly produce sufficient fissile material for multiple nuclear weapons.
“Iran has ramped up its installation of advanced centrifuges, which is yet another damaging step in Iran’s efforts to undermine the nuclear deal that they claim to support. Meanwhile Iran threatens to leave the Non-Proliferation Treaty, and officials publicly question Iran’s ‘nuclear doctrine’.
“Iran’s lack of cooperation with the IAEA over many years also undermines global non-proliferation. It prevents the Agency from carrying out vital work to assess the Iranian nuclear programme. Iran’s agreements with the IAEA and its legal obligations must be pursued in full, without further delay, as repeatedly requested by the Director General and the Board of Governors.
“Iran must change course, de-escalate, and choose diplomacy.
“The E3 have always sought a diplomatic solution to ensure Iran will never develop a nuclear weapon. We recognise the urgency of the situation, given the state of play and the nearing expiry of this resolution. We call on Iran to cease and reverse its nuclear escalation to pave the way towards a diplomatic solution.”
British Ambassador James Kariuki
Dec. 17, 2024: “Colleagues, Iran continues to develop its nuclear programme to levels that lack any credible civilian justification.
“Iran is not only failing to uphold its JCPoA commitments, it is peddling dangerous and escalatory rhetoric around its nuclear capability and doctrine.
“And Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium is already more than 32 times JCPoA limits.
“On 6 December the IAEA reported that Iran had significantly increased its production rate of 60% high enriched uranium, which is now approximately five times higher than a month ago.
“There is no justification for Iran’s stockpiling of high enriched uranium, which gives it the capability to rapidly produce enough fissile material for multiple nuclear weapons.
“Iran is the only state without nuclear weapons to enrich uranium at this level.
“We should be under no illusions as to Iran’s growing capabilities.
“Iran’s nuclear programme has never been so advanced. And the IAEA can no longer assure us that its purposes are exclusively peaceful.
“We should all be worried about what this means for global non-proliferation.
“President, Iran has a choice: it can continue to escalate over the coming months, or it can choose diplomacy.
“It must choose the latter. The UK and our E3 partners are determined to reach a diplomatic solution. We will continue to engage Iran to find a constructive way forward.
“But let us be clear. With UNSCR 2231 set to expire next October, we are reaching a critical juncture. We will take every diplomatic step to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, including the triggering of snapback if necessary.”
German Ambassador Antje Leendertse
Dec. 17, 2024: “There is no doubt: Iran is not in compliance with its nuclear-related commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA).
“And this non-compliance, which is well documented by the IAEA, is continuously getting worse.
“For the past five years, Iran has been stepping further away from the 2015 JCPoA. As we just heard: the IAEA found that Iran has massively increased the rate of production of uranium enriched up to 60%.
“There is no credible civilian justification for the scale of Iran’s enrichment activities. The current amount of uranium enriched up to 60 % would suffice for more than four nuclear explosive devices. As the IAEA states, Iran is the only state without nuclear weapons to enrich at 60 %. Why?
“This escalatory path must stop now. Together with our partners, we have spared no effort over the years to bring Iran back into full JCPoA compliance. In 2022, Iran refused to seize a critical diplomatic opportunity to agree a revised JCPoA. Since then, Iran’s actions have hollowed out the JCPoA even more.
“It is high time for Iran to reverse the expansion of its nuclear program with concrete and verifiable steps.
“Also, a necessity to regain confidence is to again allow the IAEA full access. We are extremely worried that the IAEA has lost the continuity of knowledge on key parts of Iran’s nuclear program as Iran continues to restrict the Agency’s ability to observe. We urge Iran to return to full transparency.
“Mr President,
“Iran has always emphasized its commitment not to seek, develop or acquire a nuclear weapon. Iran’s ongoing non-compliance and recent statements, including from Iranian government officials cast grave concerns about this declared intention. They are in clear contradiction to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), to which Iran is a party. Iran thereby jeopardizes the international non-proliferation system. We urge Iran to abide by its commitments as a non-nuclear weapon state under the NPT.
“I assure you: all actions we have taken, including the decision not to lift certain restrictions on Transition Day, are in full accordance with the JCPoA and with Resolution 2231. We have not taken these steps easily. We have negotiated in good faith and we have tried to resolve the issues. In the light of Iranian non-compliance, we had to act – and reserve ourselves the option to take further steps.
“Mr President,
“Resolution 2231 will expire in less than a year, as many of you have said, and the clock is ticking. The E3 remain firmly committed to work towards a diplomatic solution fully addressing the concerns about Iran’s nuclear program. For this to bear fruit, Iran must urgently change course and engage in good faith. The goal of our meeting with Iran in Geneva was precisely to convey this message.”