Baku, Azerbaijan, March 31
By Farhad Daneshvar - Trend:
Over 50 world leaders are getting ready to participate in the US-hosted Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, but Iran, that is actively seeking integration into the world after years of sanctions, has been excluded from the event.
Iran's absence from the summit casts shadow over a brilliant diplomatic achievement - the nuclear deal inked between the Islamic Republic and the P5+1 group of world powers (aka the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action /JCPOA).
Iran's absence from the Nuclear Security Summits is not something new as Tehran never attended the previous rounds of the summits, inaugurated for the first time in 2010.
Back then a strong argument was in place: a consensus over Iran's controversial nuclear program wasn't yet reached and it didn't meet the goals of the summit discussions.
Well, not anymore. International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) Board of Governors adopted a resolution last December closing the PMD (possible military dimensions to Tehran's nuclear program) file - a move that verified Tehran has met all terms and commitments under the JCPOA which means the Middle Eastern nation's current nuclear activity is fully peaceful.
In addition, the UN Security Council on 20 July 2015 adopted resolution 2231 (2015) endorsing the Joint JCPOA, another document that testifies to Iran's peaceful nuclear activity.
On the other hand, given the goals of the ongoing summit on improving the global nuclear security and taking into consideration that Iran's nuclear facilities could indeed be subjected to terrorist threats as the country is situated in the war-torn Middle East, Tehran's participation in the summit would be hailed as a move forwards contributing to the reintegration of the
Islamic Republic into the international nuclear order.
Now, with the recognition of Iran's right to a peaceful nuclear program, concerns over the Islamic Republic's nuclear activity have been removed. Therefore, Washington needs to address those who question the reasons for excluding Iran from the summit which is described as a "missed opportunity" by international media over the past week.
The international community should understand that Iran expects assistance from the world powers to make use of nuclear energy following the implementation of the nuclear deal. Instead, Iranian officials weren't given a pass to the summit and were left to watch the event at home.
Farhad Daneshvar is Trend Agency's staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @Farhad_Danesh