Amano: IAEA Report on Military Dimensions Ready by Year-End if Iran Cooperates

As the deadline for negotiations to reach a comprehensive nuclear agreement approaches and signs indicate a potential deal, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced on Saturday, July 13, that the agency's report on potential military dimensions of Iran's nuclear program could be ready by the end of the current year, provided Iran cooperates. According to Reuters, Yukiya Amano suggested that 'if Iran cooperates,' the IAEA's report on its investigations into Iran's past activities concerning nuclear weapons could be completed by the end of this calendar year. Amano's promise came a day after a senior member of the Iranian nuclear negotiation team described his visit to Tehran as 'good and successful' and emphasized Iran's readiness to cooperate with the agency regarding potential military dimensions of its nuclear program, expressing hope for progress in resolving the issue. Abbas Araghchi, a member of the Iranian negotiation team, reiterated on Friday, July 12, that 'we are ready to cooperate with the agency on the issue of potential military dimensions and to expedite this cooperation to reach a clear conclusion on this matter.' Yukiya Amano met with President Hassan Rouhani and Ali Shamkhani, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, on Thursday, July 11, and upon returning from his trip, he stated that both sides have reached a better mutual understanding on some issues, but more work remains to be done. On Saturday, Amano told reporters, 'If Iran cooperates, I think we can present our assessment report on the issues related to the potential military dimensions [of the Islamic Republic's nuclear program] by the end of the year.' Western countries, led by the United States, have always harbored suspicions that the Islamic Republic at some point conducted research into the military dimensions of nuclear weapons, an accusation that Iranian officials have consistently denied. Araghchi also referred to the issue of potential military dimensions in Iran's nuclear program as an 'old' and 'chronic' discussion, stating that 'now is a good opportunity for these issues and claims to be resolved in a calmer atmosphere.' Reuters also reported on Saturday, citing diplomats close to the negotiations, that if a comprehensive agreement is signed, resolving issues related to potential military dimensions is expected to be a precondition for the suspension or lifting of economic and political sanctions. This issue was also raised by the hardline Kayhan newspaper in its Saturday edition, stating that the clarification of potential military dimensions of Iran's nuclear program by the P5+1 'has been maintained as a precondition for the implementation of the suspension of sanctions.' Meanwhile, in recent months, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic and Iranian military officials have repeatedly expressed their strong opposition to access to Iranian military sites based on the Additional Protocol of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and interviews with Iranian nuclear scientists to resolve 'remaining issues' between Iran and the IAEA.