Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty under strain

IRAN’s threat to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) marks a grave moment for international stability. As Israel escalates its strikes on Iranian nuclear and military facilities, Tehran’s retaliatory tone is hardening. Its parliament is said to be drafting legislation to quit the NPT. As the region teeters on the edge of instability, an NPT withdrawal would mean that Iran has decided to go ahead with its nuclear weapons programme. The timing is ominous. The NPT, signed in 1970, is a cornerstone of the global nuclear order. Iran’s status as a non-nuclear-weapon state within this treaty has long offered a framework for scrutiny, despite frequent violations and disagreements. An exit would free Iran from International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspections. Already, IAEA reports point to Iran enriching uranium to near-weapons-grade levels.

Meanwhile, Israel, which is not a signatory to the NPT, continues its military campaign aimed at disabling Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. Tel Aviv justifies its actions as pre-emptive self-defence, given its longstanding position that a nuclear Iran is an existential threat. However, the consequences of its strikes may be counterproductive: they may provoke Iran to do what it is promising to do, abandoning cooperation with the West. An NPT collapse in West Asia would be catastrophic. It could trigger a domino effect, prompting Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt to reconsider their own non-nuclear pledges. Adding to the crisis, Iran is also threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil passage.

The onus now lies on the UN Security Council and key intermediaries to intervene diplomatically. The world must act swiftly to pull Iran back from the brink and to halt Israel’s military spiral. A nuclear-armed West Asia spells disaster for all.

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