UNSC members individually welcome Iran, P5+1 nuclear deal

Although the Security Council failed recently to collectively welcome the nuclear deal reached between Iran and the P5+1 in Geneva late last month, all its 15 members late Thursday lauded individually the agreement as an "important" step to bring Iran back into the international arena. The Council met for the first time after that deal was reached to hear from the Chairman of its Sanctions Committee on Iran, Gary Quinlan of Australia, who presented his 90-day report on the Committee's activities. "I would like to welcome the interim agreement reached between the P5+l and Iran in Geneva on 24 November. The potential of this important agreement as a way forward toward a comprehensive settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue is obvious," he told the Council prior to presenting his report. Iran on one side and the Council's key members - US, UK, France, Russia and China, plus Germany - on the other, agreed in Geneva late last month that Teheran shall limit its controversial nuclear activity during six months in exchange for partial easing of sanctions. "It is ... my hope that the agreement in Geneva will encourage Iran to engage with the Security Council and the Committee," he added. He warned at the same time that the four rounds of sanctions imposed on Iran by the Council since 2006 shall "remain in effect; and States have an obligation to implement them duly." "It is only by a Security Council decision (resolution) that these measures (sanctions) can be modified or terminated, and, until then, Member States are obligated to enforce them," he stressed. Presenting his report, Quinlan said Iran's attempted procurement of carbon fibre last summer was a violation of its obligations under relevant resolutions. He also said Iran's launch of the Shahab 1 and 3 missiles during the Great Prophet 7 exercises and the export of arms shipment intercepted at sea contravened those resolutions too. US Deputy Permanent Representative Rosemary Di Carlo told the Council any deal "must address the Councils multiple resolutions," and in the meantime, "all UN sanctions remain in force" and "all States were obliged to implement them." She urged the Committee, which is made of the same Council members, to improve its ability to respond to sanctions violations, expressing "disappointment" it had not taken action regarding "illicit arms shipments from Iran to Syria, Yemen, Gaza and elsewhere." Until a deal with Iran could be reached, the Council must maintain pressure on that country, she stressed. British Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant said UN sanctions must be robustly enforced in order to provide an incentive for Iran to ensure an exclusively peaceful programme. "We are right to test Irans readiness to work with the international community," he said and to enter into international agreements. He described the agreement as a "step in the right direction, cautioning that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)'s concerns must be addressed. Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said the agreement needed to be implemented in good faith by all parties. The six mediators and Iran must work on the next phase of the process, he said, noting that there had been progress in the cooperation between Iran and the IAEA. He expressed hope that the IAEA would close the Iranian dossier in the near future. "What would be wrong would be to create artificial obstacles to this," he added.