IAEA: Iran has adhered to the limitations set under the JCPOA

The International Atomic Energy Agency announced on Thursday, September 9, that Iran has adhered to the limitations set under the nuclear agreement between Tehran and six world powers. This is the third report from the agency since Donald Trump took office as President of the United States last January regarding the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which was agreed upon in July 2015 in Vienna between Iran and the P5+1 group. Mr. Trump has described this agreement as 'the worst deal ever seen.' According to Reuters, the agency's report specifies that Iran's low-enriched uranium stockpile was 88.4 kilograms as of August 21 (31 Mordad), which is significantly lower than the 202.8 kilograms stipulated in the Vienna nuclear agreement. Under this agreement, Iran is not allowed to enrich uranium beyond 3.67%. Iran's heavy water reserves, used in plutonium production reactors, were reported at 111 tons, below the 130-ton limit set in the JCPOA. The agency's report also noted that Iran resumed heavy water production on June 17 after halting operations on April 27 for repairs. Iran has twice violated the set limits for heavy water reserves before transferring it immediately to Oman. Critics of such arrangements argue that merely transferring the mentioned materials abroad and storing excess production in Oman for potential buyers is insufficient. However, negotiating parties with Iran have not expressed issues with this solution so far. In June, shortly after the agency reported that Iran's heavy water reserves reached 128.2 tons in mid-May, Tehran announced it would transfer 20 tons of its reserves abroad. The agency's report on Thursday confirms that Iran has fulfilled its promises. After two years of intense negotiations with the U.S., Russia, China, France, the UK, and Germany, Tehran agreed to limit many of its nuclear activities and redesign the Arak heavy water reactor. In return, the P5+1 countries lifted or reduced crippling sanctions against Tehran. However, since the Trump administration took office, Washington has indicated it intends to review the agreement. The Trump administration has confirmed Iran's compliance with the JCPOA for the past eight months, but it is expected to take a different approach in its October report. Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the UN, visited the agency's headquarters in Vienna last week to discuss potential inspections of Iranian military sites with Yukiya Amano, its director-general. Iran has rejected inspections of its military sites, deeming it an 'American wish.' In this context, the U.S. ambassador stated that agency inspectors must gain access to Iranian military sites. The French president stated that there is no alternative to the Iranian nuclear agreement, while Rouhani expressed skepticism that the agency would yield to American pressure.