The Iranian Situation: Part I
The NPT has its roots in a 1961 United Nations General Assembly resolution that called for the international community to adopt measures that would limit the transfer of nuclear weapons and/or the technological resources necessary to construct such weapons. In 1965 the Geneva Conference on Proliferation began negotiations regarding an actual treaty that would address the issues raised by the 1961 resolution. These negotiations concluded in the spring of 1968 and the NPT was opened for signatures on July 1 of that year. The NPT became binding on its 43 signatory nations on March 5, 1970. The NPT was extended for an indefinite period in 1995.
Currently, the NPT has been adopted by 188 nations although 2 of the 7 “declared nuclear states” have not ratified the NPT and another () is widely believed to possess nuclear weapons but has never officially confirmed or denied the status of such weapons, which has acknowledged its atomic weapons research, withdrew from the NPT on 2003 and announced that it possessed nuclear weapons in 2005.
The NPT is often described as having “3 pillars” based on the treaty’s objectives: nonproliferation (Articles I and II), disarmament (Articles VI and VII), and the right of a state to develop atomic resources for peaceful purposes (Articles III and IV).
The first “pillar,” nonproliferation, recognizes that there only 5 nations that are allowed to posses nuclear weapons. These nations were the declared nuclear weapons states at the time of the treaty’s effective date are also the 5 permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. These nations are required to not provide nuclear weapons to any non-weapons state or to provide assistance to a non-weapons state that would enable that state to create its own nuclear weapons capability.
Under the disarmament provisions of the NPT, the signatory nations are “encouraged” to actively seek agreements that will lead to a reduction in nuclear weapons and, ideally, to their ultimate dismantlement.
The third pillar of the NPT guarantees that no nation will be denied the right to develop and implement peaceful uses of atomic energy. There is, however, one condition attached to the guarantee. The signatory nations must agree to “periodic” visits by monitors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in order to confirm that atomic materials and technology is not being “diverted” to military applications. It is the refusal of to allow inspections by the IAEA that has led to the current state of tensions over what maintains are its rights under Articles III and IV.
The IAEA was created in 1957 under the provisions of the United Nations Charter to monitor the development of nuclear technologies. It was modeled on, and is the international successor to, the “Atoms for Peace” policies introduced during the Eisenhower administration. The IAEA has no enforcement powers of its own and can only report its findings to the General Assembly and Security Council of the UN for punitive action in the case of violations of the NPT. It is again worth noting that the provisions of the NPT are binding only on those nations that have ratified the treaty and that the IAEA’s oversight mission is entirely dependent on the voluntary cooperation of those nations. In other words, since is not a signatory to the NPT, the IAEA has no authority to demand that it be allowed to inspect Iran’s nuclear facilities.
The Iranian controversy, as mentioned above, stems from its refusal to allow IAEA inspectors verify that ‘s uranium enrichment and recycling programs are not being used for military purposes. Although Iranian spiritual leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has issued a fatwa (an Islamic statement of principles based on an interpretation of the Quran) forbidding the production, stockpiling and use of nuclear weapons in Iran, the non-Islamic nations of the region are placing little if any faith that this fatwa will result in any significant improvement in tensions within the Middle East.
For Further Information on the Nonproliferation Treaty and Related Topics
The full text of the Nonproliferation Treaty, along with a brief narrative history and a summary of its key provisions, can be found at the US Department of State’s Bureau of Nonproliferation web pages.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is the United Nations-sponsored organization responsible for monitoring compliance with the NPT. The IAEA’s web site is one of the best sources of information regarding the “nuts and bolts” of enforcing the terms of the NPT.
