Iran rejects UN Security Council meeting on nuclear non-proliferation as 'abuse'

HAMILTON, Canada

Iran's UN envoy on Tuesday strongly rejected the convening of a Security Council meeting on nuclear non-proliferation, calling it part of a politicized agenda that undermines the rule of law.

Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani said during the session that Iran aligns "with the position of the Russian and Chinese colleagues" and "firmly objects to the convening of this meeting."

"Any attempt to convene such a meeting constitutes a clear violation and abuse of the council's procedure," he said, noting that the council had no legal mandate to discuss Iran's nuclear program under the expired Resolution 2231.

Accusing the Western countries of distorting facts, Iravani said: "What we are witnessing is not a legitimate disagreement over interpretation, but a calculated distortion of Resolution 2231, the deliberate dissemination of disinformation regarding Iran’s peaceful nuclear program, and a cynical attempt to abuse this council for their narrow political interests."

He blamed the US and the European countries for current tensions, stating that responsibility lies "in the unilateral withdrawal of the United States from the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) in 2018, the sustained and deliberate non-compliance of the three European Countries (E3) with their commitments, and the subsequent military aggression by the United States and the Israeli regime against Iran’s peaceful, safeguarded nuclear facilities."

"Iran has been a faithful and responsible party to the NPT since 1970," he said, referring to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which seeks to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons.

Stressing that Tehran "has never diverted its nuclear program to military purposes," Iravani argued that it "remains exclusively peaceful and subject to the most extensive verification regime applied to any non-nuclear-weapon state."

He rejected "snapback" sanctions re-imposed in September by France, Germany, the UK, and the US. "Resolution 2231 terminated definitively on 18 October 2025 ... Any attempt by any state or body to revive, reinterpret, or enforce these terminated provisions is null and void," he said.

"The selective invocation of the UN Charter and the pursuit of a so-called 'peace through strength' approach only undermine the rule of law, replacing it with the law of the jungle," he said, asserting that Iran "will never submit to coercion, intimidation, or political pressure."

- Heated exchange between US and Iran over nuclear talks

Also at the session, US envoy Morgan Ortagus, took the floor to respond to Iravani and claimed that Resolution 2231 "did not expire with the conclusion of the snapback process, nor the original termination day of October 18."

Emphasizing that the US is "available for formal talks with Iran, but only if Tehran is prepared for direct and meaningful dialogue," Ortagus, who is the Deputy Special Presidential Envoy to the Middle East, stressed Washington's position that "there can be no enrichment inside of Iran, and that remains our principle."

"I've worked for President (Donald) Trump in two administrations now, and I can tell you, in both administrations, President Trump extended the hand of diplomacy to Iran. But instead of taking that hand of diplomacy, you continue to put your hand in the fire. Step away from the fire, sir, and take President Trump's hand of diplomacy," she said.

In response to Ortagus' call for diplomacy and "zero enrichment on Iranian territory," Iravani said: "We appreciate any fair and meaningful negotiations.

"However, insisting on a so-called zero-enrichment policy is entirely inconsistent with the rights to which Iran is entitled as a Member of the NPT."

"This approach demonstrates that they are not pursuing fair negotiations, but rather seeking to impose their predetermined intentions on Iran," he said, pledging to "not bow to pressure or intimidation, nor will it allow itself to be blackmailed in the international arena," he added.

Meanwhile, Russia's UN envoy Vassily Nebenzia accused France of failing "miserably in your so-called diplomatic efforts to strike a deal on the nuclear issue with Iran."