The recent headlines have been dominated by Iran’s warning that it may withdraw from the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The threat was raised in response to European Nations potentially referring to a dispute over the country’s atomic programme to the United Nations Security Council. This is a significant development within the international field, considering the escalated tensions between Iran and several Western countries.
Background of the Present Issue
Iran had signed a key agreement known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) with six countries – the US, UK, France, Germany, Russia, and China, back in 2015. This pact provided Iran access to global trade as a trade-off for accepting certain restrictions on its nuclear program. However, in 2018, this balance was disrupted when the US decided to unilaterally pull out of the agreement, thereby reinstating sanctions on Iran.
The situation further intensified when the top Iranian general, Qassem Soleimani, who commanded the Al-Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was assassinated by the US during a visit to Iraq. As a result of these rising tensions, Britain, France, and Germany announced that Iran was violating the agreement made in 2015. They concluded by launching a dispute mechanism which could eventually lead to the issue being referred back to the Security Council. This could potentially result in the reimposition of U.N. sanctions on Iran.
Understanding the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)
The NPT is an important international treaty designed to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and further the goal of disarmament. Signed into existence in 1968, the treaty only came into force two years later, in 1970. At present, it is backed by around 190 member states. The terms of the treaty require nations to relinquish any current or future plans to build nuclear weapons in exchange for access to peaceful nuclear energy. Moreover, the NPT represents the only binding commitment in a multilateral treaty towards disarmament by the states possessing nuclear weapons.
Under the NPT, the parties possessing nuclear weapons are defined as those that assembled and tested a nuclear weapon or other nuclear explosive devices before January 1, 1967.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1968 | The NPT was signed |
| 1970 | The NPT entered into force |
| Present | The NPT is supported by 190 member states |
India’s Stance on the NPT
In regard to the NPT, India is among the few countries, along with Pakistan, Israel, North Korea, and South Sudan, that have either not signed the treaty or have withdrawn after signing. India has consistently viewed the NPT as discriminatory and has therefore refused to sign it. The country has opposed international treaties aimed at non-proliferation as they tend to be selectively applicable to non-nuclear powers and legitimise the monopoly of the five nuclear-weapon states.
