Despite concerns voiced by some military officials over last month’s deal with major powers on Tehran’s atomic work, the chairman of the General Staff of the Armed Forces backed the initiative, spotlighting its advantages.
“What the armed forces have the most concerns about is the effect of the accord on defense capabilities ... but this agreement and the UN Security Council resolution have many advantages ignored by critics,” Major General Hassan Firouzabadi said on Saturday, as quoted by IRNA.
About 20 months of talks between Iran and the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany) culminated in a historic pact on July 14, which will end sanctions against Iran in return for temporary limits on its nuclear program.
A resolution was adopted by the United Nation in the wake of the deal, endorsing it, providing for termination of the seven previous resolutions against Iran.
Firouzabadi listed 16 merits of the agreement.
“The first (positive) point is that Resolution 2231 has not been issued under Chapter Seven… but under Article 25 of the UN Charter,” he noted.
Chapter Seven applies to states which are identified by the world body as a threat to world peace, while Article 25 of Chapter Five announces commitment of member states to accept and carry out the decisions made by the Security Council.
Softened Tone
“Compared to the previous UN sanctions resolutions, the tone of the recent resolution has softened from commanding to requesting. This is evident in the language used for terms of the sanctions on the missile program and inspection of aircraft and ships,” the senior military official said.
The deal is formally referred to as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
The resolution said, “Iran is called upon not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using such ballistic missile technology, until the date eight years after the JCPOA Adoption Day or until the date on which the International Atomic Energy Agency submits a report confirming the Broader Conclusion (that Iran is not engaged in any undeclared nuclear activities), whichever is earlier.”
Another advantage is that the accord enshrines Iran’s stance that it will return to its previous level of nuclear activities in case sanctions are re-imposed, Firouzabadi pointed out.
“Iran has stated that if sanctions are reinstated in whole or in part, Iran will treat that as grounds to cease performing its commitments under this JCPOA in whole or in part,” according to the text of the resolution.
The military chief added, “As stated in Annex B to Resolution 2231, the Security Council’s previous sanctions have changed to time-bound restrictions.”
