Senior US Congressman: I Hope the Closure of the PMD Case is Not True

Ed Royce, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has expressed hope that reports about the 1+5 group presenting a resolution to close the PMD case at the IAEA Board of Governors are not true. In a statement published on Thursday, December 10, on the House of Representatives website, Mr. Royce referred to the IAEA report confirming that Iran had clandestine activities related to the development of nuclear weapons until 2003, stating that "unanswered questions remain." The Republican Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee has asked how close the Islamic Republic was to developing nuclear weapons and what happened to the materials, research, and experiences Iran acquired in this process. After the IAEA published its final report on the possible military dimensions of Iran's nuclear program (PMD), the negotiating countries announced that they would present a draft resolution aimed at closing Iran's case in this regard and starting the implementation of the nuclear agreement to the IAEA Board of Governors. The IAEA officially stated in its final report on PMD that the Islamic Republic had attempted to develop a nuclear explosive device at least until the end of 2003, although these activities did not go beyond feasibility studies and scientific research. According to the IAEA report, some of these activities continued until 2009, but no credible evidence of activities related to the development of nuclear weapons in Iran has been found since 2009. Closing the PMD case at the IAEA Board of Governors has been a condition for Iran to implement the JCPOA or the nuclear agreement with world powers. However, the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee stated that "this week we learned that Iran conducted another test on a ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, which violates at least two Security Council resolutions." Ed Royce added: "Rushing to conclude investigations into Iran's past actions with a resolution that Congress and the American people have not yet seen shows Iran that its aggressive behavior has no consequences." The Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee concluded his statement by emphasizing: "The vital interests of the United States in its national security are at risk. The Obama administration must stand up to Iran's dangerous behavior and ask our partners and allies to obtain complete details about the past of its nuclear program."