The UN Security Council and The Iranian Nuclear Program

por Isabella Radd

According to the United Nations Charter, one of The UN Security Council’s job is to guarantee world peace. However, there is another important principle: The UN is not allowed to interfere in any internal politics of a nation.

The UN Security Council’s permanent members – The United States, The United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China – are the ones which have the veto power, and are exactly those which also have nuclear weapons. While nothing has been proven about the military purposes of Iran’s uranium-enrichment program, and permanent members have nuclear weapons, there is no logical explanation to support interferences or judgement of The UN Security Council, whose sanctions are applied only based on assumptions.

Sanctions are not the best way to be successful in negotiations with Iran’s government; instead, the UN should invest in diplomatic talks. More than once, Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, refused to negociate under threats of sanctions. In spite of this, he showed willing when countries like Brazil and Turkey offered their diplomacy to intermediate agreements involving the exchange of low-enriched uranium for this high- enriched metal.

Investments in uranium-enrichment are surely a domestic Iranian issue, and there is reason enough for Iran to not let the IAEA inspect its territory or feel obliged to show details about its nuclear program. Enriched uranium can be clearly used to make nuclear weapons, but this material also has many other peaceful uses, like being an important generator of electricity or helping in medical purposes, including some cancer treatments. In this manner, as it is a domestic policy, Iran’s uranium-enrichment program cannot be prohibited by any international organization, especially considering UN purposes of laissez-faire in national domestic affairs and Iran’s sovereignty. Moreover, attempting to preserve it, Iran has refused to sign The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

In fact, The UN Security Council should not interfere in Iran’s nuclear issues, as permanent members do not have legitimacy to judge a country which has nothing proved against it, while they indoubtedly have nuclear weapons.