US Envoy Warns Iran Not to Withdraw From NPT

Wood condemns Iran, demands that end 'malign behavior'

US disarmament envoy Robert Wood issued a statement Tuesday condemning Iran for threatening to withdraw from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) if their civilian program was referred to the UN Security Council by European nations.

Withdrawing from the NPT would be a “very, very negative message,” Wood insists. He further demanded Iran “end its malign behavior” and accept talks with the US to resolve both the nuclear issue, and their ballistic missile program.

Iran warned about the possibility after European nations, France, Germany, and Britain, activated the dispute mechanism for the P5+1 nuclear deal. It was revealed that the nations only did so because the Trump Administration threatened them with auto tariffs if they didn’t comply.

Iran’s NPT warning cautioned the European nations against any more rash moves. This public sort of warning was risky, however, as the US is liable to steer those nations into exactly that situation, with an eye toward further undercutting Iran’s civilian program.

Withdrawing from the NPT would indeed be a very serious move, and could be expected to provoke a harsh international reaction. The US could even use it to try to start a war against Iran.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.