Amano: Iran is Still Complying with Its Nuclear Commitments Under the JCPOA

Yukiya Amano, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), stated on Wednesday, January 30, that Iran is still fulfilling its commitments under the nuclear agreement known as the JCPOA. According to Reuters, Amano mentioned in his speech to IAEA staff that Iran is adhering to its nuclear obligations under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). He added that it is important for Iran to continue fully implementing these commitments. The IAEA Director General, who oversees the nuclear agreement between Iran and global powers, warned that pressure on the agency for further inspections is 'counterproductive and extremely harmful.' Israel, which has opposed the Vienna nuclear agreement from the beginning, has requested that the IAEA inspect 'secret nuclear warehouses' and other locations in Iran. The Trump administration, which withdrew the United States from the nuclear agreement, has made similar demands. However, Yukiya Amano rejected these requests, stating, 'If our credibility is called into question and specifically, if there is pressure on the agency for verifications, this is counterproductive and harmful.' In its latest quarterly report published on November 12, the IAEA announced that Iran has been compliant with its commitments under the nuclear agreement with global powers known as the JCPOA. This was the thirteenth report from the agency following the nuclear agreement between Iran and six global powers in July 2015. Meanwhile, Donald Trump criticized U.S. intelligence agencies' assessments regarding Iran's compliance with the JCPOA, describing them as 'naive' and 'wrong.' The U.S. President tweeted that since the withdrawal from the terrible nuclear deal with Iran, they have changed significantly but remain a potential source of danger and conflict. Iran and six global powers, including the U.S., reached a comprehensive agreement to resolve Tehran's nuclear program after two years of negotiations in July 2015, which not only halted some of Iran's nuclear activities but also suspended many U.S. and UN Security Council sanctions against Tehran. Trump has been a staunch opponent of this agreement since his 2016 presidential campaign, calling it 'the worst deal ever.' The U.S. withdrew from the JCPOA on May 8, citing 'violations of the spirit of the agreement,' ballistic missile activities, and Tehran's negative role in the Middle East. Following this decision, Washington reinstated the suspended sanctions against Iran in August and November.