EU Statement – UN Security Council: Briefing on Non-proliferation

EU Statement - UN Security Council: Briefing on Non-proliferation

23 December 2025, New York - Statement by the European Union delivered by H.E. Ambassador Hedda Samson, Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations, on behalf of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, at the UN Security Council Briefing on Non-proliferation

Check against delivery

Mr President,

1. Thank you for giving me the floor. I am honoured to address the Council today, on behalf of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas.

1. I would also like to thank Secretary-General António Guterres and the Secretariat for their work related to the implementation of Resolution 2231 as well as Slovenia for their efforts while carrying out the role of the Facilitator of Resolution 2231. We take note of the 20^th report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of resolution 2231.

1. This session takes places in the context of the re-instatement by this Council of UNSCR resolutions in force prior to the JCPOA, and thus of all nuclear-related UN sanctions and restrictions on Iran. This followed the invoking of the snap back mechanism by France, Germany and the UK (E3) who notified the UNSC on 28 August of Iran's significant non-compliance of its commitments under the JCPoA. There should be no doubts on the validity of this process and on the obligation for all UN Member States to fully implement the reinstated resolutions.

1. However, the snap back of sanctions and nuclear restrictions must not be the end of diplomacy - quite the opposite. The European Union and its Member States are convinced that a lasting solution to the Iranian nuclear issue can only be achieved through diplomacy. To this end, the European Union remains determined to continue to engage with all parties to find a negotiated and sustainable solution to the issue, in line with the re-instated UNSC Resolutions.

Mr President,

1. For the past 10 years, the JCPoA and UNSCR 2231 (2015) had established a framework that not only aimed to ensure that the Iranian programme remains exclusively peaceful but also put in place an effective monitoring and verification system conducted by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The JCPOA represented a key contribution to the global nuclear non-proliferation architecture, as well as an achievement of multilateralism and nuclear diplomacy. Amid increasing challenges, the successive EU High Representatives have spared no effort to preserve this framework in the interest of international peace and security. HRVP Kaja Kallas has pursued intense diplomatic contacts, including during the 30-day timeframe foreseen in the snap back process, to avoid the situation we are now facing. We welcome the efforts of a number of other states aiming to facilitate diplomacy.

1. Ensuring that Iran does not acquire or develop a nuclear weapon remains a key security priority for the EU and all its Member States, as it is for the entire international community.

1. The EU reiterates its full support for the impartial role of the IAEA and for its Director General in their critical work to uphold the implementation of safeguards, nuclear safety and security and to provide clarity on Iran's nuclear programme. In November, IAEA DG Grossi reported that the Agency had lost continuity of knowledge in relation to the previously declared inventories of nuclear material in Iran, including low and highly enriched uranium. Iran's implementation of its Safeguards Agreement cannot be suspended under any circumstances. This situation is very concerning.

1. The EU calls on Iran to return to full compliance with its legal obligations under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), and its binding comprehensive Safeguards Agreement. It is critical and urgent that Iran provide the IAEA with up-to-date and verifiable declarations on the quantity and whereabouts of nuclear material and related activities and allow the resumption of inspections at all its nuclear facilities, including those affected by military strikes in June 2025.

1. It is the intention of the High Representative to remain engaged with all relevant parties, including Iran, in support of political and diplomatic efforts to find a negotiated solution.