The “12 -day war” between Israel And Iran It is over: after the US attacks against the three Iranian nuclear sites of Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, Tehran However, he threatened to retire from Treaty of nuclear non -proliferation (TNP) as a measure of retaliation.
TNP is a multilateral agreement, in force since 1970, which aims to contain the spread of nuclear armaments, favoring the peaceful use of thenuclear energy also thanks to the control mechanisms entrusted toInternational Agency for Atomic Energy (Iaea). The treaty is based on three fundamental principles: nuclear disarmament, the non -proliferation of nuclear weapons and the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
THE’Article 10 of the Treaty provides for the possibility of retire from the agreementbut any Iranian abandonment could have destabilizing repercussions Both for regional safety in the Middle East and for the strategic nuclear balance at a global level.
What is the treaty of nuclear non -proliferation and which countries have not signed it
The Treaty of nuclear non -proliferationstipulated in 1968 and entered into force in 1970is a multilateral agreement aimed at contain The spread of nuclear armaments and to encourage the peaceful use of nuclear energy on a global scale. Representing a cardinal element in the process of nuclear disarmamentthe Treaty binds the signatory states to comply with a series of obligations aimed at preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons, underlining the importance of implementing effective measures aimed at safeguarding safety and preventing the risk of a conflict with potentially devastating consequences. The TNP, which constitutes the international agreement with the greatest number of membership (over 190 countries) in its area, operates on the basis of a criterion historical-legal a distinction between “Non -nuclear states” And “States with nuclear weapons“, recognizing as such exclusively Russia, United States, China, United Kingdom And Franceas they had developed and tested a nuclear device before the January 1, 1967. However, the Treaty Not was signed by all countries in possession of nuclear deterrence: India, Pakistan And Israel (the latter without an official confirmation by his government about the possession of nuclear arsenals) have not joined the agreement, while the North Korea has formally communicated the immediate termination the January 10, 2023.
What the TNP says and what are the obligations
The non -proliferation treaty is based on three pillars: theCommitment to disarmament nuclear for the countries officially equipped with nuclear weapons (China, Russia, France, the United Kingdom and the United States), the non -proliferation nuclear and ‘Pacific use nuclear energy.
The agreement therefore imposes a series of obligationsdifferentiated according to theirs nuclear status:
- States recognized as equipped with nuclear armaments They are required not to transfer weapons or other explosive nuclear devices, as well as not to provide assistance, encouragement or any form of support to non -nuclear countries aimed at the production, acquisition or achievement of nuclear weapons;
- States not equipped with nuclear armaments They undertake not to acquire, directly or indirectly, weapons or other explosive nuclear devices from any source, as well as to develop, produce or obtain these armaments. In addition, these countries agree to subscribe safeguard agreements with theInternational Agency for Atomic Energy (AIEA), with the aim of verifying compliance with the commitments made pursuant to the Treaty
The TNP establishes a series of mechanism of monitoring and verification entrusted to AIEA. States subject to these checks are obliged to communicate in advance location of all sites in which nuclear materials are stored or treated. These plants are subsequently subjected to inspection by qualified inspectors of the agency with the aim of ensuring that the physical materials do not come diverted towards the productions of weapons for military purposes.
Iran threatens the withdrawal from the treaty of nuclear non -proliferation
THE’Iran joined the non -proliferation treaty in 1968with the ratification by the Iranian Parliament in February 1979following the Islamic Revolution. However, the Iranian program of enrichment of uranium has been the subject of prolonged disputeswith different western powers that have advanced accusations regarding an alleged secret development of an atomic weapon by Tehran. In order to mitigate international concerns, in 2015 Iran decided, in addition to the obligations deriving from the TNP, to sign the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a multilateral agreement specifically aimed at regulating its nuclear programstipulated with the United States, Russia, Germany, China, France and the United Kingdom.
In exchange for the revocation of Some economic sanctionsTehran committed himself to allowing inspections by international experts at their nuclear plants, including unsigned sites, to verify compliance with the constraints taken. In addition, Iran agreed to limit the enrichment of uranium to a maximum concentration of the 3.67% (compliant for l‘civil use) for a period of about 15 years and to reduce both the number that the type of the gas centrifuges used for this process. In the 2018American president Donald Trump announced retirement of the US from the Hcpoa and the implementation of a strategy of sanctions aimed at exerting maximum economic pressure on Iran.
The possible withdrawal by Tehran from the TNP, as indicated by several government exponents in recent days, would represent a significant turning point, with potential destabilizing repercussions Both for regional safety in the Middle East and for the strategic nuclear balance at a global level.
In the current context, Abbas Golroopresident of the Foreign Commission of the Iranian Parliament, said his country reserves the right right to withdraw from TNP pursuant toArticle 10which allows the withdrawal if a state deems threatened their own supreme interests. A possible withdrawal of Iran from the Treaty would in fact represent a serious blow to the global architecture of nuclear non -proliferation, compromising effectiveness of the monitoring and verification mechanisms of the AIEA.