UANI CEO Amb. Mark Wallace Interview in Pan European Networks

UANI CEO Amb. Mark Wallace: "Iran’s attempts to develop nuclear capabilities have occupied less of the recent international security conversation, particularly in the wake of terror attacks around the world and the rise of so-called ‘Islamic State’ in Syria and Iraq. Progress was made late last year with the agreement of the joint comprehensive plan of action (JCPOA) by the EU, Iran and the P5+1 – China, France, Russia, the UK and the US, plus Germany. Nevertheless, there are concerns about Iran failing to adhere to its commitments. The US has recommended taking a diplomatic approach, lifting certain sanctions under the JCPOA and unfreezing Iranian overseas assets in exchange for Iran complying with the deal. Nevertheless, organisations such as United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), a non-profit organisation in the US dedicated to preventing Iran from attaining nuclear weapons, have criticised particular tenets of the deal which make it easy for the country to leave certain commitments unfulfilled: Iran is able to leave the deal if sanctions are re-imposed, meaning that the involved countries would likely be reluctant to trigger this mechanism for minor violations. UANI has undertaken a number of key efforts, including campaigning for companies to suspend business ties with Iran. One such project involved calling for crane companies to cease trading because the machines can  be used for public executions, an initiative which saw a number of international companies withdrawing their business from the country. UANI has extended its efforts towards Europe, campaigning to prevent European businesses from exploring opportunities in Iran once sanctions prohibiting this are lifted. Mark Wallace, former US Ambassador to the United Nations and the CEO of UANI, spoke to PEN about the progress made in the campaign so far, the organisation’s concern over Iran’s actions outside of nuclear non-proliferation, and the compromises it believes are necessary to future business dealings with the country."