Iran’s refusal to cooperate with international nuclear inspectors could invite further US military action, the Washington Post editorial board wrote on Tuesday, citing June’s airstrikes on three major Iranian nuclear sites.
“The most hopeful explanation is that Iran is blocking the inspectors because it fears independent confirmation that its costly 30-year nuclear program has been destroyed — but hope has never been an effective counterproliferation strategy,” the board wrote.
The opinion piece said lingering uncertainty about how much of Iran’s program was destroyed in the strikes at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan risked fueling new confrontation. Inspectors have been allowed to visit the Bushehr reactor, but not the facilities targeted by US bombers.
According to the editorial, “If Tehran takes any lesson from June, it should be that the United States is not afraid of using military force to prevent Iran from getting nuclear weapons. Trump resisted pressure from the vocal isolationist faction in his base, and he could do so again if he feels it is necessary to protect the nation’s security.”
The board said Iran’s stonewalling, along with missing stockpiles of near-weapons-grade uranium, underscored the need for full access for International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors. It argued that Tehran must also reenter negotiations on a strictly civilian nuclear program if it wants to avoid further conflict.
Britain, France and Germany last week triggered the UN “snapback” mechanism, starting a 30-day process to restore international sanctions unless Iran resumes full cooperation with the agency, agrees to direct talks with Washington and provides an accounting of the uranium.
Iran has threatened a “harsh response” if sanctions are reimposed, including the possibility of withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
