By Jenny Park
On March 3, 2015, the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin
Netanyahu, addressed Congress regarding the Iranian nuclear crisis. Netanyahu
called for Iran to completely abandon its nuclear program and for the US and
Europe to impose tougher sanctions against Iran. Subsequently, Republican
senators warned Iran that any international deal on the Iranian nuclear
program could be revoked when President Obama leaves the office. This strong
rhetoric attempts to undermine the current negotiations among Iran and the six
world powers, scheduled for preliminary agreement by the end of March and to be
finalized by the end of June.
Iran is a signatory to the Non-Proliferation
Treaty (NPT), which requires all signatory
states to use nuclear material, if any, only for peaceful purposes. As part of
this commitment, the signatory states must work with the International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA), an independent branch of the UN that works to ensure that
states do not use nuclear material for military purposes. After a signatory
state implements safeguards and submits a declaration of the state’s nuclear
materials and facilities to the IAEA, the IAEA verifies its implementation and its continuing
compliance.
