Shamkhani Emphasizes: Choose Between JCPOA and Keeping the Past Nuclear File Open

Ali Shamkhani, the Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, stated, "Without the closure of Iran's past nuclear file, the implementation of the JCPOA is not possible." According to IRNA, the official news agency of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Shamkhani made this remark on Sunday, December 8, during a speech at Beheshti University in Tehran. Shamkhani asserted that the P5+1 group of countries "must choose between the JCPOA or keeping the file of Iran's past nuclear activities open." This condition reiterated statements made by Abbas Araqchi, head of Iran's monitoring and executive team in the JCPOA. Araqchi, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, also stated last week after meeting with Yukiya Amano, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, that Iran will implement the JCPOA when its past nuclear file is closed. In the nuclear agreement reached between Iran and world powers last summer, Iran's past nuclear activities are referred to by the acronym PMD, which stands for "Possible Military Dimensions." The Director General of the IAEA mentioned last week that the agency now has a "better understanding" of Iran's past nuclear activities but still cannot confidently state that Iran's nuclear materials and programs were solely for peaceful purposes. Meanwhile, Amano emphasized that the PMD file is "not entirely black or entirely white." According to the Director General, it cannot be determined whether Iran's nuclear program in the past was aimed at producing a nuclear bomb, nor can it be stated definitively that such a goal was not pursued. However, Shamkhani, in his remarks on Sunday, claimed that the agency's assertion of its inability to comment on Iran's undeclared activities is fundamentally an unlegal and repetitive claim. According to the agreement between Iran and the six world powers, the implementation of the JCPOA depends on the IAEA's report regarding Iran's nuclear activities in previous years. According to reports from France, the final assessment regarding Iran's PMD is expected to be presented to the members of the IAEA Board of Governors in Vienna by Wednesday at the latest. Concurrently, Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, stated on Sunday in Tehran, "We are waiting for Amano's report, and more importantly, we are waiting for the Board's decision to close the past issues." Zarif added, "The past nuclear activities of Iran have been incorrectly labeled as PMD because Iran's programs have had no military dimension that could be referred to as PMD." In recent days, reports have indicated that the IAEA is under pressure from the United States to declare the file of Iran's past nuclear activities closed. John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, had previously expressed a desire for the closure of this file and called for a forward-looking approach in cooperation with Iran. Araqchi also stated that the exchange of uranium and the redesign of the Arak reactor, two significant commitments of Iran under the JCPOA, will not take place unless Iran's past nuclear file is closed. The first day of the JCPOA's implementation will signify the beginning of the lifting of some global sanctions against Iran; Iran needs the swift lifting of sanctions to access its blocked funds worldwide and to enter a new era of international trade cooperation. The serious sanctions due to Iran's nuclear program began during Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's presidency; he regarded Security Council resolutions as worthless, akin to "onion peels," and said, "Give as many resolutions as you want until your resolution holder tears apart." However, Iranian leaders acknowledged last year that these sanctions have had significant negative effects on the lives of Iranians and the country's economic landscape. Mohammad Javad Zarif stated on Sunday in Tehran that the JCPOA also stipulates that the U.S. and the European Union must "commit to lifting all sanctions on the day of implementation." According to Zarif, "The people of Iran will respond appropriately to any breach of promise."