Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary A. Dicarlo
Remarks to the Security Council on Non-Proliferation
New York, 10 July 2026
Mr. President,
As noted in the Secretary-General’s most recent report on resolution 2231, dated 19 June, the International Atomic Energy Agency indicated that it had not conducted any in-field verification activities under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Safeguards Agreement.
This is the instrument that also enabled the Agency to verify and monitor the implementation of Iran’s nuclear-related commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
The Agency had also reported a significant deterioration in its situational awareness following the attacks against Iran by the United States and Israel that began on 28 February 2026. It had now lost continuity of knowledge across all of Iran’s declared nuclear facilities.
This loss of continuity extended to the production and current inventory of centrifuges, rotors and bellows, heavy water and uranium ore concentrate.
The Agency assessed that this knowledge could not be restored.
Furthermore, since Iran ceased the provisional application of its Additional Protocol in February 2021, the Agency had received no updated declarations and had been unable to conduct complementary access to any sites or locations in Iran.
Mr. President,
While significant differences remain between the relevant parties on the way forward regarding resolution 2231 (2015) and the JCPOA, they have all underscored the importance of a diplomatic solution and indicated readiness to engage with each other for this purpose.
The 17 June Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding contained several important agreements on nuclear issues already reached between the United States and Iran.
They include “resolv[ing] the disposition of stockpile enriched material”, on-site down blending of the enriched materials under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and a commitment to discuss the issue of enrichment and other mutually agreed matters related to Iran’s nuclear needs.
Today, a framework for further negotiations remains a critical step towards the peaceful settlement of the Iran nuclear issue.
The Secretary-General calls on all parties to engage constructively and in good faith to achieve a peaceful, comprehensive and durable resolution of the Iran nuclear issue, consistent with the objectives of Resolution 2231 and the broader goal of strengthening international peace and security.
The United Nations stands ready to support these efforts.
Thank you, Mr. President.
