The UN nuclear watchdog said on Thursday it will provide next week a long-awaited report on Iran’s alleged efforts to develop atomic weapons, but warned its conclusions won’t be “black and white”. The investigation centres on claims that mostly before 2003, but possibly since, Iran conducted research into developing nuclear weapons.
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The head of the IAEA says the report on the military dimensions of Iran’s nuclear program won’t be clear-cut.
Formally, the report will help determine whether Iran gets relief from sanctions in exchange for paring back its atomic activities under an overarching July 14 deal Tehran signed with six world powers.
His comments reflect IAEA constraints on monitoring Iran.
United Nations nuclear agency’s Director General Yukiya Amano said in a report to the Board of Governors released on November 26 that the agency continues to verify the non-diversion of nuclear material declared by Iran under its safeguards agreement.
When asked about the likely response, Amano said the PMD document would be “factual” and that any decision on further investigation was in the hands of the IAEA’s member states.
Two diplomats said the USA and the five other powers that negotiated the July 14 nuclear deal with Iran were unlikely to be too critical at the risk of jeopardizing that agreement, although expectations are that Iran has continued to either deny the activities under investigation or insist that they were part of peaceful nuclear research. Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned Wednesday that Amano and the board must “meet the stipulated commitments” – shorthand for closing the books on the allegations.
The IAEA and Iranian nuclear negotiators held a session on November 24 in Vienna to discuss the agency’s upcoming report on the PMD to Tehran’s nuclear program.
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“But we are not in a position to provide credible assurance about the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran, and therefore to conclude that all nuclear material in Iran is in peaceful activities”, he added.
