UNITED NATIONS, Dec 24 (APP): Pakistan has called for diplomatic engagement and emphasized the imperative of avoiding confrontation to resolve the Iran nuclear issue, as the UN Security Council on Tuesday remained deeply divided on the path forward.
“It is deeply regrettable that in recent months, divisions in the Council and beyond have widened – taking us further away from the resolution of the issue,” Ambassador Usman Jadoon, deputy permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN, told the 15-member Council during a discussion on nuclear non-proliferation.
“The situation had already become more complicated due to unilateral actions involving the use of force and violations of the UN Charter, and due to the differing interpretations on the invocation of the snapback mechanism,” he added.
At the heart of the split between the Council members is a dispute over the legitimacy of holding meetings related to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, formally the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), an agreement to limit Iran’s nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief.
Iran signed the agreement alongside the Council’s five permanent members — China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States — plus Germany and the European Union (EU). But the U.S. under President Trump withdrew from the agreement in 2018, leading to the re-imposition of sanctions.
“Coercive measures would not help in bringing the parties closer and only exacerbate the trust deficit,” the Pakistani envoy cautioned, adding that sanctions directly hurt ordinary people the most and affect economic development.
“We strongly believe that diplomacy and dialogue should be the guiding principles for the resolution of all outstanding issues concerning Iran’s nuclear programme in accordance with the rights, obligations and responsibilities of the parties concerned,” Ambassador Jadoon said.
Pakistan, he said, has consistently advocated the primacy of diplomatic engagement and the imperative of avoiding confrontation and conflict.
The fact remains that JACPOA provided an essential framework for the resolution of the issue – one that is based on international law and mutual respect and acceptance, the Pakistani envoy said. “The essence and basic framework of the JCPOA could still prove useful if there’s a mutual desire to move forward in a spirit of compromise and accommodation”
Underscoring the need for reviving the spirit of the JCPOA once more, he said the divisions on this issue could be overcome if we stick to the principle of bringing together all the parties in a spirit of conciliation towards a solution-oriented approach.
“Most importantly, the trust and confidence in the diplomatic engagement, that was damaged in the past few months must be meticulously restored,” Ambassador Jadoon said, emphasizing International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) remains critically important as it is responsible for verifying compliance with the respective nuclear safeguards obligations of member states. The Agency, he said, should objectively fulfill this mandate.
“Constructive efforts should be undertaken, including through the Security Council to bring the parties together for a compromise acceptable to all,” the Pakistani envoy added.
At the outset, the UN political chief, Rosemary DiCarlo, declared, “Despite intensified diplomatic efforts during the second half of 2025, there was no agreement on the way forward regarding the Iran nuclear programme.”
Ms. DiCarlo – the UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peace-building Affairs – reminded the Council that the best option for the international community is a negotiated settlement that would ensure a peaceful Iranian nuclear programme and provide sanctions relief.
Tuesday’s meeting was the first to take place since France, Germany and the United Kingdom triggered the so-called “snapback mechanism” (the reimposition of sanctions against Iran), citing “significant non-performance” of its commitments under the plan.
The United States, United Kingdom, France and other Security Council members argued that the Resolution that led to the Nuclear Deal remains in force and that the Council should therefore continue meeting to discuss the nuclear non-proliferation issue.
“The lack of implementation by Iran of its international obligations related to its nuclear programme constitute a grave threat to international peace and security,” said Jay Dharmadhikari, France’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN. He added that, if brought to military enrichment levels, Iran’s stockpile “would be of a sufficient quantity to produce 10 nuclear explosive devices”.
Russia’s Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia, took aim at the Slovenian presidency of the Council, regretting that they did not “find the courage to impartially uphold your obligation not to act at the behest of those who insisted on holding a Security Council meeting on a non-existent agenda item”.
“The JCPOA Committee does not exist anymore,” he added. “Therefore, the EU is not the coordinator anymore and therefore should not be allowed to brief the UN Security Council”.
Speaking for Iran, Ambassador Amir-Saeid Iravani insisted that Resolution 2231 (2015) expired on 18 October 2025, and thus “ceased to have any legal effect or operative mandate”. He concluded that there is “no mandate for the Secretary-General to submit any report and no mandate for the Council to hold discussions on it”.
Today, he said, the Council is witnessing “a calculated distortion” of the resolution and the “deliberate dissemination of disinformation” about Iran’s nuclear programme.
APP/ift