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Iranian nuclear deal crucial for Persian Gulf security, says UN Secretary General

UNITED NATIONS, October 20. /TASS/. The issue of nuclear non-proliferation is of crucial importance in the area of the Persian Gulf, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on Tuesday during a video session of the UN Security Council’s high-level debate on the situation in the Persian Gulf. The meeting is held on Russia’s initiative under the chairmanship of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

"In relation to regional stability, the issue of nuclear nonproliferation is critical. Since the beginning, I have always seen the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action — or JCPOA — as an important instrument against nuclear proliferation and for regional security," he said.

The enormity of the challenges ahead should not deter us," Guterres stressed. "Let us work to create a climate of trust and improve the prospects for regional dialogue. Let us move beyond destructive rivalries and recognize what unites us. Let us keep the interests of the region’s people front and center - their aspirations for freedoms, opportunities, better standards of life and peace. This, above all, should compel us to intensify our collective efforts."

In 2015, Iran and six major powers (five member states of the United Nations Security Council - Russia, the United States, France, the United Kingdom and China - and Germany) agreed on the final Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which particularly stipulated the removal of sanctions imposed on Tehran over its nuclear program.

After Donald Trump became the president of the USA, the US pulled out of the agreement, slapping sanctions on Iran. On October 18, restrictions on deliveries of regular arms to Iran under the nuclear deal expired.