This posting uses the fine summary of the first week of the 2026 NPT Revue Conference by Ray Acheson in Reaching Critical Will. It pulls together statements made by NPT states on the Iran nuclear conundrum and Iran’s rejoinders and ends with Ray Acheson’s jarring commentary on what was missing in those statements. We shall see what this RevCon comes up with on the NPT nuclear nonproliferation pillar, and on the important NPT pillar of nuclear disarmament.
US asserted that Iran is in violation of Article III of the NPT and its IAEA safeguards agreement.
China said that without the authorisation of the Security Council, launching military strikes against the nuclear facilities of other countries and IAEA safeguards constitutes a serious violation of international law. It noted these actions “under the pretext of non-proliferation trample on the sovereignty of other countries, seek regime change, and pursue geopolitical interests, thereby greatly increasing the risk of nuclear proliferation.”
Russia said the US’ and Israel’s attacks against a good faith NPT party were “under the pretext of false allegations of a military nuclear programme.” It noted “the tendency on the part of a group of Western States and their allies to exploit the NPT for their short-term political interests.”
Argentina said this RevCon must send a clear message that Iran must never have a nuclear weapon. It argued that Iran has not fully cooperated with the IAEA or successfully demonstrated the peaceful nature of its nuclear programme and appealed to it to cooperate.
EU, Austria, Germany, Greece, Bulgaria, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Slovakia, and UAE encouraged Iran to cooperate with the IAEA.
Spain urged Iran to fully cooperate with the IAEA and continue a diplomatic process to research a constructive, consensual, and sustainable solution.
Slovenia said that it is concerned with “the unclear nature” of Iran’s nuclear programme, noting, “There is only a diplomatic solution to Iran’s nuclear program, and the IAEA must be a part of it.”
Singapore noted that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) “is an important part of the international nuclear non-proliferation architecture” and expressed hope “that all parties will intensify efforts to reach agreement and uphold their respective obligations under the JCPOA.”
Greece said it “strongly supports a jointly made and comprehensive post-JCPoA agreement for Iran and calls all countries involved to conclude and implement such an agreement at the earliest possible, having also in mind the current negotiation effort in Islamabad.”
Iran, in its national statement, condemned the wars of aggression launched by Israel and the US against it in 2025 and 2026. Iran asserted its uranium is accounted for and the real reason for the attacks is the US desire to distract from its own noncompliance with the NPT, the seizure of Iran’s oil and gas, and regime change.
Iran, in a right of reply, noted that the JCPOA succeeded because it recognised Iran’s right to dignity, and that it had collapsed not because of Iran, but because the US unilaterally withdrew from it and European states failed to maintain their obligations. It stressed that openly threatening further military and economic pressure is not diplomacy, but clear and simple pressure. It said that the US must cease the path of extortion, intimidation, and pressure, highlighting that dignity, not coercion, must form the basis of engagement.
IAEA did not mention Iran in its statement.
Ray Acheson Commentary: Neither the United States nor any of the other governments condemning Iran’s actions acknowledged that the IAEA has assessed several times that there are “no credible indications” of activities relevant to weaponisation of Iran’s nuclear programme after 2009 or any diversion of nuclear materials for military purposes; nor that all US intelligence agencies have found the same; nor that it was the US government’s unilateral withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action that led to further uranium enrichment by Iran; nor that the US and Israel launched two unlawful wars of aggression against Iran; nor that Iran’s attacks in the region are provoked by the US military’s use of its military bases in the region to launch its war on Iran, including its base in the UAE; nor that the latest Israeli-US war of choice has killed thousands of civilians, destroyed civilian infrastructure, displaced millions of people, caused massive environmental devastation, and sent shockwaves through the global economy, making life even more difficult for billions of people around the world already struggling to survive life under capitalism.
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