United Nations, June 25: UN Undersecretary-General for Political Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo called for diplomacy and dialogue to ensure the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program.

In a briefing to the Security Council on the implementation of its Resolution 2231, which endorses the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and the six world powers of Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States, DiCarlo regretted that with less than four months left until the termination of its provisions, the objectives of the resolution and those of the Iran nuclear deal have yet to be fully realised, Xinhua news agency reported.

The nuclear deal, adopted in the summer of 2015 to ensure that Iran's nuclear program would be exclusively peaceful, has faced many challenges since its inception, including the withdrawal of the United States from the agreement in 2018 during Donald Trump's first term of office as US president, said DiCarlo.

Over the last few months, participants of the deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), increased their efforts to identify a way forward for full implementation of the plan. In addition, Iran and the United States engaged in five rounds of bilateral talks, facilitated by Oman, said DiCarlo. "Regrettably, neither of these initiatives produced a way forward to ensuring the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program."

The military escalation between Israel and Iran since June 13 and US airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facilities on Saturday (New York time) complicated prospects for achieving full implementation of Resolution 2231. Iran's strikes on Monday on a US military base in Qatar further exacerbated insecurity in an already tense region, she said.

Monday's announcement by the United States, in coordination with Qatar, of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran is a significant achievement that potentially pulls Iran, Israel and the region back from the brink, she said.

At the heart of this conflict is the nature of Iran's nuclear program. Following the deadly clashes of the past 12 days, the ceasefire agreement is an opportunity to avoid a catastrophic escalation and achieve a peaceful resolution of the Iran nuclear issue, she said. "Diplomacy, dialogue and verification remain the best option to ensure the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program and to bring about concrete economic benefits to the people of Iran."

The United Nations stands ready to support all efforts that advance peace, dialogue and stability in the region, she said.

--IANS

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