The U.N. nuclear agency has officially closed its more than decade-old investigation into allegations Iran once worked to develop nuclear weapons.
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Iran and leading world powers reached a landmark agreement in July under which punishing economic sanctions will be rolled back in exchange for Iran curtailing its nuclear programme.
The 35-nation governing board of the International Atomic Energy Agency passed a resolution on Tuesday ending the IAEA’s 12-year-long inquiry into suspicions of “possible military dimensions” (PMD) to Iran’s nuclear work.
A United Nations council admitted Iran broke a security council resolution when it tested a ballistic missile in October, says Reuters.
An Iranian technician walks through the Uranium Conversion Facility just outside the city of Isfahan, south of the capital Tehran.
The launching of ballistic missiles is prohibited in a provision of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1929.
Iran had denied that the missile launch was in violation of the resolution, with Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif saying that it was not created to carry nuclear warheads.
On Oct. 21, the United States, France, Britain and Germany urged the Security Council to investigate and take “appropriate action” against Iran for the Oct. 10 missile launch, AP reported.
The UN report came as the Security Council was preparing to lift sanctions on Iran, possibly in January, once the UN nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, confirms that Tehran has delivered on its commitments under the deal. An additional semi-annual report from the administration also will provide detailed information regarding Iran’s nuclear-related activities, including work on ballistic missiles, said officials. This issue has a long and complex history, and the legacy of mistrust between Iran and the global community must be overcome.
However, Russia and China, whcih dislike sanctions on Iran’s missile program, may block such moves.
But that was nothing more than feasibility and scientific studies, and the acquisition of certain technical capabilities – although Yukiya Amano says the IAEA will as a matter of course continue to monitor Iran’s nuclear industry.
“Nothing has changed”, she declared.
The chair of the Iran sanctions committee, Spanish Ambassador Roman Oyarzun, told the council the Panel of Experts had concluded the attempt by Iran to procure titanium alloy bars earlier this year also violated United Nations nuclear sanctions.
Whether the security council takes any action remains to be seen.
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Iranian President Hassan Rohani said on Wednesday the closure of investigations into Iran’s past nuclear activities was a political victory for the country, lifting the main obstacle to implementing Tehran’s deal with world powers.
