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Security Council Resolution A United Nations Security Council resolution is a United Nations resolution adopted by the fifteen members of the United Nations Security Council, Security Council (UNSC); the United Nations (UN) body charged with "primary responsibility for the ...

1696, adopted on July 31, 2006, after expressing concern at the intentions of the nuclear programme of

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

, the Council demanded that Iran halt its

uranium enrichment Enriched uranium is a type of uranium in which the percent composition of uranium-235 (written 235U) has been increased through the process of isotope separation. Naturally occurring uranium is composed of three major isotopes: uranium-238 (238 ...

programme. Resolution 1696 was adopted by 14 votes in favour to one against (

Qatar Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it ...

) and no abstentions. Qatar said that while it agreed with the demands of the resolution, it was not the right timing as the "

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...

was in flames".

Background

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors concluded in September 2005 that Iran had not complied with its safeguards agreement and that its nuclear program raised questions within the competence of the Security Council. In February 2006, the IAEA Board reported those conclusions to the Security Council, after it determined that Iran had not provided sufficient clarification of its nuclear intentions.

Resolution

Observations

In the preamble of the resolution, the Security Council reaffirmed the provisions of the

Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, commonly known as the Non-Proliferation Treaty or NPT, is an international treaty whose objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to promote cooperation ...

and the right of states to the peaceful use of nuclear energy. It was "seriously concerned" that the IAEA was unable to clarify the intentions of the nuclear programme, and whether there were any undeclared activities or materials within Iran. Iran had also not taken steps required of it by the IAEA, according to the reports of its Director-General,

Mohamed ElBaradei Mohamed Mustafa ElBaradei ( ar, محمد مصطفى البرادعي, Muḥammad Muṣṭafá al-Barādaʿī, ; born 17 June 1942) is an Egyptian law scholar and diplomat who served as the vice president of Egypt on an interim basis from 14 July ...

. The text underlined the need for a political and diplomatic resolution to the situation, while expressing the proliferation risks presented by the Iranian nuclear programme and members of the Council not willing to aggravate the issue.

Acts

Acting under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, the Council called upon Iran to follow through with the requirements of the IAEA which would build confidence and resolve outstanding questions. It demanded that Iran suspend all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, which would be verified by the IAEA. The resolution stated that compliance with the requirements of the IAEA would contribute to a diplomatic solution guaranteeing that Iran's nuclear programme is exclusively for peaceful purposes. Furthermore, the proposals of China,

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, the

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and

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for a long-term comprehensive solution were endorsed. The resolution urged all states to "exercise vigilance" and prohibit the transfer of any materials that could contribute to Iran's nuclear and

ballistic missile A ballistic missile is a type of missile that uses projectile motion to deliver warheads on a target. These weapons are guided only during relatively brief periods—most of the flight is unpowered. Short-range ballistic missiles stay within the ...

programmes. It also reinforced the authority of the IAEA in its work to clarify outstanding issues relating to Iran. The Security Council expected a report from the IAEA on whether Iran had complied with its requests by August 31, 2006; legally binding "appropriate measures" would be adopted if the Council was satisfied that Iran had not met its obligations under the current Resolution 1696 in order to persuade it to co-operate with the IAEA.

Aftermath

The day after the resolution was passed, the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, said he would not bow to "the language of force and threats". Iran's failure to respond satisfactorily led to Resolution 1737 on December 23, 2006, in which sanctions were applied. Those sanctions were subsequently stepped up by resolutions

1747 Events January–March * January 31 – The first venereal diseases clinic opens at London Lock Hospital. * February 11 – King George's War: A combined French and Indian force, commanded by Captain Nicolas Antoine II Co ...

(2007) and

1929 This year marked the end of a period known in American history as the Roaring Twenties after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 ushered in a worldwide Great Depression. In the Americas, an agreement was brokered to end the Cristero War, a Catholic ...

(2010).

Suspension

The provisions of Resolution 1696 were terminated by United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231 effective on Implementation Day of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, 16 January 2016, subject to the continued implementation of the JCPOA by member states.

Reinstatement

The dispute resolution mechanism envisioned by UNSCR 2231 allows for the restoration of the terminated resolutions (aka snap back) including UNSCR 1696 in the event of significant non-compliance by Iran with its nuclear obligations. page 20 of UNSCR 2231:

Snap Back Controversy

On August 20, 2020, US secretary of state,

Mike Pompeo Michael Richard Pompeo (; born December 30, 1963) is an American politician, diplomat, and businessman who served under President Donald Trump as director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from 2017 to 2018 and as the 70th United State ...

, notified the UN Security Council of significant Iranian non-compliance of the JCPOA, officially requesting all prior sanctions to be reinstated. The move was highly controversial as other council members did not recognize the USA as participant in the JCPOA since the 2018 American withdrawal of the deal, thus unable to use its dispute resolution mechanism to re-impose international sanctions. The US position however, is that UNSCR 2231 forever names US as a participant for the purpose and that there is no mechanism for it to be removed. Iranian non-complicance with the deal is thus enough to bring back the international sanctions that were lifted in return for Iran accepting limits on its nuclear programme.

References

External links

*
Text of the Resolution at undocs.org
Kaveh L. Afrasiabi, August 29, 2006. {{UNSCR 2006 1696 United Nations Security Council sanctions regimes Nuclear program of Iran 1696 2006 in Iran 1696 July 2006 events