U.S. Ambassador at the Agency: Seeking a Comprehensive Agreement with Iran

Jackie Wolcott, the U.S. Ambassador to the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), stated on Tuesday, March 5, that the United States is seeking a comprehensive agreement with Iran, as Donald Trump has indicated. According to the U.S. State Department's website, Wolcott urged the IAEA to continue verifying Iran's commitments. She mentioned that the U.S. has clearly explained why it withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). In 2015, the U.S., Russia, China, France, the UK, and Germany reached an agreement with Iran in Vienna to resolve the Islamic Republic's nuclear crisis. Under the JCPOA, Iran accepted limitations on its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of nuclear sanctions against the country. Trump, a critic of the nuclear deal, withdrew from the JCPOA on May 8, citing 'violations of the spirit of the agreement,' ballistic missile activities, and Tehran's negative role in the Middle East. Wolcott stated that the U.S. demands Iran to end destabilizing behavior and return to the negotiating table. The U.S. Ambassador emphasized that 'President Trump has explicitly stated that we are seeking a comprehensive agreement with Iran that addresses all our concerns and facilitates Iran's full integration into the international community politically and economically.' She added that in pursuit of such a comprehensive agreement, the U.S. offers Iran the normalization of relations with the international community. Wolcott clarified that this proposal includes: 'Ending all U.S. sanctions, not just some of them, fully normalizing diplomatic and commercial relations, assisting in obtaining appropriate advanced technology, and supporting the modernization of Iran's economy and its integration into the international economic system.' The U.S. Ambassador noted that to achieve such a goal, Iran must change its behavior and take steps to demonstrate that the nature of its nuclear program will remain entirely peaceful forever. Wolcott stressed that without the necessary guarantees for effective verification, there would be no possibility for successful diplomacy. She also stated that Iran must honestly explain why it has maintained a vast archive of its past activities related to nuclear weapons development. Iran has kept these documents and files for years while committing under the JCPOA never to pursue nuclear weapons. The U.S. Ambassador also mentioned that the IAEA can count on full U.S. support for verification and monitoring activities in Iran. In this context, Yukiya Amano, the Director General of the IAEA, stated at the beginning of the agency's quarterly Board of Governors meeting that 'Iran is implementing its nuclear commitments under the JCPOA' and emphasized that 'the continued full implementation of these commitments by Iran is key.' Amano added that the IAEA's verification regarding the non-diversion of declared nuclear materials by Iran, under the 'Safeguards Agreement,' is ongoing and that this process is time-consuming.