WH Urges UK & France to Not Rebuke Iran Over Expanding Nuke Program at Upcoming IAEA Conference

Edited by: Fern Sidman

The Biden administration’s recent actions reveal a deeply concerning approach to Iran’s escalating nuclear ambitions, placing global security and the safety of key allies, particularly Israel, at significant risk. Instead of standing firm against Tehran’s theocratic regime, the White House appears to be capitulating, urging Britain and France not to formally rebuke Iran over its expanding nuclear program, as was reported on Tuesday in The New York Post.  This strategy, marked by a lack of decisive action, emboldens a regime that has consistently flouted international norms and threatened regional stability.

Diplomats informed the Wall Street Journal that U.S. officials have been pressuring European allies to vote against censuring Iran at the forthcoming International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) board of governors meeting, according to the information provided in The Post report.  Even more alarming, the U.S. plans to abstain from this critical vote, signaling a retreat from holding Iran accountable. The report on The Post added that this comes at a time when Iran’s nuclear activities pose an unprecedented threat, especially after the recent death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash on May 19.

A State Department spokesperson’s statement to The Post has claimed that no decisions have been made about the meeting and the spokesperson has dismissed speculation as premature. This ambiguous stance undermines efforts to present a unified front against Iran’s blatant violations of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).

“We are increasing pressure on Iran through sanctions and international isolation as seen most recently in the coordinated G7 measures taken in the wake of Iran’s attack against Israel last month,” the spokesperson added, as per the Post report. “We remain tightly coordinated with our E3 partners France, Germany and the UK.”

While the administration touts its efforts to increase pressure on Iran through sanctions and international isolation, these measures are insufficient without concrete actions at the IAEA. The spokesperson highlighted recent G7 measures in response to Iran’s attack on Israel, but these steps fall short of the robust response required. The administration’s advocacy for European nations to intensify pressure by removing regime banks and designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terror group, although necessary, seems more like an attempt to deflect criticism than a serious strategy.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) has rightly criticized the administration’s stance, labeling it as undermining allied efforts to hold Iran accountable. The Post reported that McCaul’s statement, “It is outrageous that this administration continues to undermine our allies’ efforts to hold Iran accountable,” underscores the frustration with a policy that appears more focused on appeasement rather than on addressing the clear and present dangers posed by Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

This approach mirrors the Obama administration’s flawed policy, which relaxed sanctions on Iran in exchange for limits on its nuclear program under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA). As per the information provided in The Post report, this agreement, which the Trump administration subsequently abandoned due to its ineffectiveness, only provided temporary relief while allowing Iran to continue its malign activities under a veneer of compliance. The current administration’s reluctance to take a hard stance suggests a troubling continuity with past policies that have failed to curb Iran’s nuclear aspirations.

Israel, a key U.S. ally and a frontline state facing Iran’s aggression, is directly threatened by Tehran’s nuclear advancements. The Biden administration’s lack of decisive action jeopardizes not only Israel’s security but also regional and global stability.

Despite President Biden declaring the deal “dead” in November 2022, his administration has continued to make concessions that embolden the Iranian regime. Indicated in The Post report was that last month, the administration extended a sanctions waiver that unlocked $10 billion in frozen funds for Iran, allowing Iraq to pay for electricity services. This action reflects a troubling continuity with the Obama-era policies that have repeatedly failed to restrain Iran’s nuclear advancements.

Critics, including Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, have vehemently opposed the Biden administration’s stance. Waltz told The Post, “The Biden/Obama appeasement policy towards Iran has been an abject failure for over a decade, yet they continue to make concession after concession.” He further emphasized the danger of the administration’s actions, stating, “As Iran inches towards a nuke, I can’t think of a more weak and dangerous response than lobbying our closest allies to ignore international efforts to hold the regime accountable.”

Under Secretary of State John Kerry, the Obama administration not only relaxed sanctions but also obstructed efforts to arrest individuals linked to Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs. As was previously reported in The Post, whistleblower disclosures revealed last week by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) expose that the administration blocked the FBI from arresting known terrorists who traveled on U.S. soil.

Despite these concessions, Iran has continued to aggressively pursue its nuclear ambitions. A recent report from the International Atomic Energy Agency, indicated that Tehran is amassing weapons-grade nuclear material at an alarming rate, with 313.2 pounds of uranium enriched up to 60%, according to The Post report. As of February, the IAEA recorded a 45.4-pound increase in Iran’s stockpile, calling attention to the rapid pace of Tehran’s nuclear escalation.

For Israel, Iran’s nuclear program represents an existential threat. The Israeli government has consistently warned about the dangers of a nuclear-armed Iran, which would drastically alter the balance of power in the Middle East, the Post report added.

Despite these alarming developments, the Biden administration has failed to take decisive action. U.S. Ambassador to the IAEA, Laura Holgate, acknowledged in March that Iran’s cooperation with the agency remains “unacceptable.” The Post report said that she stressed that the IAEA’s board of governors must be ready to take further action if Iran’s cooperation does not improve dramatically. However, the administration’s rhetoric has not been matched by substantive action, leaving the international community vulnerable to Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

Iran has consistently claimed that its nuclear program is for civilian purposes. However, the Post revealed that the IAEA governors’ board issued a resolution in November 2022 expressing “profound concern” over Iran’s failure to cooperate with the UN watchdog, ignoring safeguards, and harboring nuclear material in three undeclared locations. These actions clearly indicate Tehran’s intent to develop nuclear weapons, contrary to its public assertions.

Without a significant change in course, U.S. officials anticipate that international sanctions may resume, potentially leading to a referral of the matter to the UN Security Council, as was affirmed in The Post report.  However, this process faces significant obstacles due to the geopolitical dynamics within the Security Council. Member states such as Russia and China, both of whom have close ties to Iran and wield veto power, are likely to block any meaningful resolution against Tehran.