IAEA: Iran Should Avoid Repeating Violations of Its JCPOA Commitments

On Thursday, November 17, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) urged Iran to adhere to its commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and to refrain from repeating violations of the established limits. According to Reuters, the IAEA, which is responsible for monitoring the implementation of the JCPOA, reported last week that Iran's stockpile of heavy water was slightly above the agreed limit in the JCPOA. The agency stated that this is the second time Iran has increased its stored heavy water above the level set in the JCPOA. Yukiya Amano, the IAEA Director General, stated last week during a meeting of the agency's Board of Governors that Iran's heavy water stockpile is slightly above the permissible limit outlined in the Vienna nuclear agreement, but he also emphasized that Tehran intends to export some of this stockpile to other countries. According to the Director General, if the excess heavy water is exported outside Iran, the stockpile will decrease to below 130 tons, alleviating the agency's concerns. Reuters reported that Amano emphasized to the Board of Governors that 'we must prevent the recurrence of this incident in any way to avoid undermining the international community's trust in Iran.' Last week, coinciding with Amano's report, Mark Toner, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, stated that 'Iran is seeking to resolve this issue.' Toner noted, 'It is important to remember that Iran has not concealed this matter from the agency and is currently taking steps to address it.' Under the nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers, the maximum amount of heavy water that Iran can store is 143.3 tons. Heavy water can be used in the production of plutonium, a material that can facilitate the development of nuclear weapons. Two weeks ago, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, during a session defending three of his proposed ministers to the parliament, stated that Iran has, for the first time in history, been able to sell heavy water to other countries. Rouhani said, 'If one day they said heavy water is against international regulations and must be shut down, today we sell heavy water for cash to the U.S. and Russia.' Besides the amount of Iran's heavy water stockpile, the reduction in the number of centrifuges was another issue mentioned in Yukiya Amano's recent report. Reuters concluded its report by referencing Donald Trump's election as President of the United States and his hardline positions regarding the JCPOA and the nuclear agreement with Iran, noting that other Western countries involved in this agreement are concerned that any potential violation by Iran could enable Trump to revoke the JCPOA.