20-Jan-2020: Iran to quit NPT if its nuclear programme gets referred to UN

Iran threatened to withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) if European countries bring alleged violations of the historic nuclear deal with world powers to the United Nations Security Council.

The 190-member NPT, which was signed in 1968 and came into effect in 1970, bans signatories other than the United States, Russia, China, Britain, and France from acquiring nuclear weapons – in return for allowing them to pursue peaceful nuclear programmes for power generation, overseen by the UN.

NPT is the foundation of global nuclear arms control since the Cold War, including a 2015 deal that Iran signed with the world powers, which offered it access to global trade in return for accepting curbs to its atomic programme.

The Islamic Republic gradually stepped back from its obligations under the accord after US President Donald Trump quit the deal in 2018 and reimposed crushing sanctions that have severely harmed the Iranian economy.

Germany, France, and the UK accused Iran of violating the nuclear accord and launched a dispute mechanism last week, which could see the matter referred back to the Security Council and a reimposition of UN sanctions.

Tehran has repeatedly held talks with European officials to find ways to keep the nuclear agreement alive, but has blamed the Europeans for failing to guarantee economic benefits that Iran was meant to receive in return for curbing nuclear work.

Iran says it cannot negotiate with Trump, who broke promises by repudiating the deal reached under his predecessor Barack Obama.