Latest IAEA Report: Iran Has Adhered to Its JCPOA Commitments

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed in its report on Friday that Iran has remained faithful to all its commitments under the nuclear agreement, and it has corrected the only instance of non-compliance regarding heavy water production. In the middle of last winter, just a month after the nuclear deal came into effect, the IAEA discovered that Iran had produced heavy water beyond the permitted amount. However, according to the new report, a copy of which was obtained by the Associated Press, it has been confirmed that Iran's heavy water production has returned to the permitted level. Following the release of the heavy water report, Iran announced negotiations with the United States and Russia regarding the sale of heavy water exports. The latest IAEA report also confirmed that Iran has not produced enriched uranium 'beyond the allowed limit' and has 'halted any construction' at the Arak heavy water reactor. The report includes details regarding the manufacturing of centrifuge components, emphasizing that since the implementation of the nuclear agreement, Iran has not produced any centrifuges to replace the IR-1 centrifuges that have malfunctioned or broken down, and the suspension of rotor tube production on March 7 has been verified by the agency. The IAEA also stated that on April 13, Iran informed the agency in a letter that it wishes to resume rotor tube production, but such action had not occurred by June 2 based on the agency's verifications. The report emphasizes that technical discussions between Iran and the agency have taken place regarding this matter, and the reasons for this resumption and other technical details will be examined and verified during the agency's next visit. Long-term visas for agency inspectors are mentioned in the IAEA report, indicating that Iran has allowed inspectors to visit all locations specified in the agreement. Additionally, in the section regarding 'transparency measures', it is noted that Iran has issued 'long-term visas' for inspectors at the agency's request and has provided suitable working conditions at nuclear sites. It is also mentioned that Iran has agreed to increase the number of agency inspectors. The IAEA, which is affiliated with the United Nations, is tasked with monitoring Iran's nuclear activities and how the nuclear agreement between Iran and the P5+1 group is implemented. In response to the latest report, Reza Najafi, Iran's permanent representative to the IAEA, stated on Friday that 'this brief report, apart from a few numbers that have changed due to the implementation of technical measures, does not contain anything new and is repetitive.' Najafi also thanked the staff of the Atomic Energy Organization for continuing Iran's nuclear activities. Concurrently, Interfax reported that Behrouz Kamalvandi, head of the International Department of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, met on Friday at the Iranian embassy in Moscow with the head of the Russian state company Rosatom. The two sides discussed issues related to the Bushehr nuclear power plant and negotiations regarding the construction of a second Bushehr plant. The development of Iran-Russia cooperation in the nuclear industry in the post-JCPOA era was also among the topics discussed. A delegation from the Atomic Energy Organization accompanied Kamalvandi on this two-day trip to Moscow. According to usual protocol, the latest IAEA report will be presented to the Board of Governors, who will discuss it in a meeting. The latest report is expected to be made available to the 35 member council next week, and their meeting will also take place in Vienna that week. Sergey Ryabkov, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister, stated that given the IAEA report and Iran's adherence to its commitments, there is no need for a political meeting at the level of the P5+1, and the Board of Governors meeting regarding Iran's nuclear file is sufficient.