Amano Once Again Emphasizes Iran's Commitment to JCPOA

As the U.S. President is expected to announce Iran's compliance or non-compliance with the nuclear agreement in the coming days, Yukiya Amano, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), reiterated Iran's adherence to its commitments under the JCPOA. In remarks made on Monday, October 9, at a conference in Rome, Amano stated, "I can announce that the nuclear-related commitments that Iran is obliged to adhere to under the JCPOA are being implemented." The IAEA Director General expressed these remarks at the 20th annual Eduardo Amaldi Conference, which focuses on the 60th anniversary of the agency's establishment. The IAEA had confirmed Iran's compliance with the JCPOA in a report last month, stating that Iran's low-enriched uranium stockpile [which is used for peaceful purposes but could potentially be used to create a nuclear bomb if enriched further] has not exceeded the agreed limit of 300 kilograms. The report also confirmed that Iran has not pursued construction at the Arak reactor [which could be used for the plutonium needed for nuclear weapons] and has not enriched uranium beyond the specified level. The nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers, reached in July 2015, led to the lifting or suspension of sanctions related to Iran's nuclear program in exchange for limitations on its nuclear activities. However, with Donald Trump, one of the fiercest critics of this agreement, now in power in the U.S., the future of this agreement is uncertain. The Trump administration has confirmed Iran's compliance with the JCPOA twice but is expected to withhold confirmation in the coming days, at the end of another 90-day period for reporting to the U.S. Congress. Trump has previously described the JCPOA as "the worst deal ever" and "a source of shame for the United States," and his administration considers it a very flawed agreement for not addressing Iran's other behaviors. U.S. officials describe actions such as insisting on pursuing ballistic missile programs and supporting militia groups in the region as "destabilizing and destructive behaviors," viewing these actions as contradictory to the spirit of the JCPOA, which anticipates Iran's participation in regional and global peace and stability. However, the possibility of the U.S. withdrawing from the JCPOA has already raised concerns among other parties involved in nuclear negotiations with Iran, and besides China and Russia, the three European countries involved in the negotiations are also making efforts to prevent the U.S. from exiting the nuclear agreement. On Monday, Federica Mogherini, the EU's foreign policy chief who led the negotiations that resulted in the nuclear agreement, stated that Iran's compliance with the nuclear agreement has been confirmed at least eight independent times. Speaking via video at the Rome conference, she emphasized that "now is the time to invest in international cooperation and open new channels of communication, not to destroy the channels we currently have." If the U.S. government does not confirm Iran's compliance with the nuclear agreement in the coming days, the U.S. Congress will have 60 days to decide on reinstating suspended sanctions against Iran, a decision that could jeopardize the future of the nuclear agreement. Iran, rejecting accusations of violating the spirit of the nuclear agreement, accuses the U.S. of bad faith in implementing the JCPOA and has threatened that if the U.S. withdraws from the JCPOA, Tehran will consider withdrawal from this agreement as one of its options. In this context, Russia and China have called for the U.S. to remain in the Iranian nuclear agreement, while Germany has expressed concern about the possibility of the U.S. exiting the nuclear agreement. Bloomberg reports that Trump may seek stricter oversight of Iran's compliance while maintaining the JCPOA. Trump has reiterated that Iran is violating the "spirit" of the JCPOA and creating problems in the Middle East. The White House has stated that Trump will announce a new U.S. strategy regarding Iran's bad behavior, and the European Commission has stated that all parties must remain committed to their obligations under the JCPOA.