In a speech delivered by His Royal Highness Prince Abdullah bin Khalid bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to the Republic of Austria and Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations and international organizations in Vienna, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia emphasized the need to take deterrent measures against Iran's violations and transgressions of the nuclear agreement. This underscores the agreement's shortcomings and the importance of a comprehensive international agreement regarding Iran's nuclear program.
This came during the session of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), held from September 9-13, 2019, following the Agency's reports on "Monitoring and Verification in the Islamic Republic of Iran in Light of Security Council Resolution No. 2231 of 2015." His Highness expressed the importance of a "comprehensive international agreement" regarding Iran's nuclear program, ensuring it is prevented from obtaining nuclear weapons in any form. This stems from the need to work towards limiting the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East, thus ensuring international peace and security.
In his speech, he emphasized the need for this agreement to include a specific, strict, and permanent inspection mechanism for all sites, including military sites, along with a mechanism for quickly and effectively reimposing sanctions in the event of Iran's violation of the agreement.
He pointed out that Iran did not use the economic benefits of lifting sanctions after signing the nuclear agreement to serve its domestic development and improve the conditions of the Iranian people; rather, it used them to continue to incite internal unrest in neighboring countries, and to destabilize the region in particular. Its actions and aggressive behavior over the past forty years confirm Iran's intentions in the region, as confirmed by the agency's recent reports on Iran's violations of the nuclear agreement.
He also appreciated the Agency's efforts and endeavors in the field of verification and monitoring in Iran, and the high professionalism and transparency of the Agency's team. This was evident in the Agency's recent reports, which confirmed Iran's violations of the agreement, both in terms of the percentage of uranium enrichment and the quantity of enriched uranium produced, in addition to the installation and development of advanced centrifuges and the suspension of all its research and development obligations. This confirms recent statements by Iranian officials in this regard, which reflects the shortcomings of the agreement and the need to take deterrent measures in this regard, as the true goal that Iran seeks to achieve has now become clear and explicit.
His Highness the Ambassador and Permanent Representative also pointed out in concluding his speech that the Agency's reports still do not include information about Iran's intention to develop nuclear propulsion systems for ships (Naval Nuclear Propulsion Systems), and the need to clarify this objective, especially since this technology is increasingly used in military fields.
