Iran's Nuclear Verification to be Discussed at IAEA Board Meeting

The quarterly meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency's Board of Governors began on Monday, September 7, in Vienna, Austria, with the latest status of Iran's nuclear programs on the agenda. According to IRNA news agency, the meeting will involve discussions on nuclear verification activities in Iran, North Korea, and Syria, with participation from 35 member countries. Other topics on the agenda include necessary actions to strengthen international cooperation on nuclear issues, transportation and safety of radioactive waste, implementation of the IAEA's action plan on nuclear security, nuclear safety in the 2015 report, agency activities related to nuclear science, and progress on the agency's cancer treatment action program. According to the Russian news agency Itar-Tass, a separate report will traditionally be presented by Yukiya Amano, the IAEA Director General, regarding Iran's compliance with its nuclear commitments. The IAEA's latest report, released on September 26, indicated that satellite images showed the presence of vehicles, equipment, and possibly construction materials at a military site in Parchin. This report was met with a response from Reza Najafi, Iran's permanent representative to the IAEA, who called it 'ridiculous.' On September 24, two days before the release of the new report, Yukiya Amano presented a report on the implementation of the Vienna agreement between Iran and six world powers, stating that the agency's cooperation in this process requires funding. The Director General confirmed that Iran provided a lot of information on August 15, but it is still too early to comment on its novelty. Amano is expected to receive the necessary information from Iran by October 15 and to present his report to the IAEA Board by December 15. If this report is positive, it will pave the way for the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), reached on July 14 in Vienna between Iran and six world powers. Under the Vienna agreement, Iran will suspend or reduce many of its activities in exchange for the lifting or suspension of global sanctions against it.