Mr President,
I thank the Secretariat, the representative of the European Union, and the facilitator responsible for monitoring the implementation of resolution 2231 for their interventions.
Since our last meeting in June 2024, Iran has continued to escalate its nuclear program, in violation of its commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA).
Iran continues to accumulate a stockpile of enriched uranium, which is now 32 times greater than the limits set by the JCPoA. This includes a highly enriched uranium stockpile of up to 60%. The IAEA Director General stressed that Iran was the only non-nuclear weapon state to enrich uranium to such levels.
Today, Iran would have four “significant quantities”, that is to say four times the quantity of fissile material from which the possibility of manufacturing a nuclear weapon cannot be excluded. These levels of enrichment and these activities have no credible civilian justification.
Iran also continues to increase its enriched uranium production capacity, installing thousands of advanced centrifuges, including at the Fordow underground site, where such activities are prohibited by the JCPoA.
These elements, taken from the latest IAEA reports, demonstrate the very worrying trajectory of the Iranian nuclear program. Iran has also stopped applying almost all the transparency measures provided for by this agreement, and more than a year ago withdrew the accreditation of several experienced inspectors. We must also note Iran’s lack of technically credible cooperation with the Agency on outstanding issues related to safeguards implementation. In this context, the Agency has indicated several times that it had lost continuity of its knowledge on entire sections of the Iranian nuclear program, including the inventory and production of centrifuges, and that it was not in ability to assert that the program was exclusively peaceful.
Iran has made numerous very worrying declarations, citing its technical capabilities to produce nuclear weapons and a possible change in its supposed nuclear “doctrine”. Such statements go against Iran’s commitment under the JCPoA that it will under no circumstances seek to obtain, develop or acquire nuclear weapons. They contradict Iran’s obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Iran is also continuing to develop its ballistic missile program, which could one day serve as vectors for nuclear weapons. Recall that arms transfers from Iran, including drones to Russia, began before October 2023, in violation of the provisions of Resolution 2231 relating to ballistic activities.
France, with its E3 partners, continues its mobilization for a diplomatic solution.
Faced with serious and persistent violations of the agreement by Iran, we triggered, in January 2020, the dispute resolution mechanism provided for by the JCPoA.
We have deployed considerable efforts in this context: these have included negotiations, in 2021 and 2022 in Vienna, which would have enabled the return of the United States to the agreement and of Iran to full implementation. of its commitments. We regret that Iran did not seize these opportunities.
Mr President,
The nuclear escalation in which Iran is engaged is very dangerous. It empties the JCPoA of its substance and obstructs the resumption of a diplomatic path to respond to the international community’s concerns about the Iranian nuclear program. It threatens international peace and security and in this regard requires the attention of the Security Council.
We once again call on Iran to cooperate fully with the IAEA, whose constant efforts France welcomes. We remain committed to seeking a diplomatic solution to ensure that Iran does not acquire nuclear weapons. We are determined to use all diplomatic tools to achieve this.
Thank you.
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