Update on Iran

By Owen Wirth

Iran has been a major player in Middle Eastern Relations for a long time now and has been the focal point of many international conflicts that have occurred there. There have recently been headlines surrounding Iran concerning their nuclear development program. Most nations have signed a treaty called the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) which holds each nation accountable for their actions when pursuing nuclear capabilities. This treaty has not been signed by a few countries because it is said to favor those countries which already have the ability to weaponize its nuclear material. It is a condition of the treaty that all countries that had nuclear weapons when it was signed (those being the United States, Russia, Great Britain, France and China) that they will not distribute their nuclear weapons to those countries without them, and it is an ultimate goal to achieve complete disarmament. To ensure that the NPT is maintained to a respectable level, there is an organization called the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that conducts inspections of nuclear facilities. 

When word leaked out that Iran was trying to produce enriched uranium the IAEA was sent to Iran by the UN to investigate the safety of such a program. Now, it is detailed in the NPT that countries may pursue enriched uranium for so-called "civilian" purposes, like nuclear reactors and radiation treatment. These are legitimate reasons for a country to strive for nuclear power, but the IAEA revealed in their report that some aspects of Iran's nuclear development program only make sense if they are planning to weaponize their nuclear material. This is a direct violation of the NPT (which Iran has signed) and warrants collaborative action on the part of the international community. This action has come in the form of economic sanctions from the United States and the European Union. President Obama signed a law punishing any financial institution that would conduct business with Iran's central bank. And recently the EU just declared that it will not purchase any of its oil from Iran, with South Korea and Japan making similar pledges. The EU accounts for about one fifth of Iran's oil buyers and South Korea and Japan make up about another fifth. We still have to wait and see what will be the response by Iran in the next few weeks.

Source Articles:
The Economist 
New York Times