US Representative: The Agency Must Provide More Accurate Reports on Iran's Nuclear Program

On Wednesday, March 10, the US representative called on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to prepare more detailed reports regarding Iran's continued compliance with the nuclear agreement in Vienna and the limitation of Tehran's nuclear programs. It seems that the agency's recent report lacks sufficient details from the perspective of Western governments. According to the Associated Press, concerns about the shortcomings of the agency's report had previously only been expressed in private comments. John Kirby, the spokesperson for the US State Department, stated on Tuesday, 'I am sure that last year's nuclear agreement guarantees the tools and requirements for accurate reporting.' Henry Ensher, the US representative to the IAEA, also told the Board of Governors on Wednesday that even with the implementation of the nuclear agreement, 'the continuation of accurate and effective reporting on Iran's compliance remains essential.' All six countries that signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran believe that, given Iran's commitment to transparency, which is a crucial part of the agreement, the IAEA is now in a better position to monitor Tehran's nuclear activities. However, the four Western signatories to the nuclear agreement, including the US, UK, France, and Germany, prefer the agency's reports to contain more details and evidence compared to the report from last month, which was the first since the nuclear agreement. In contrast, the other two countries, China and Russia, believe that the agency's report is balanced. However, Iran complains that this report contains excessive details. Yukiya Amano, the IAEA Director General, believes that since Iran is no longer in violation of UN resolutions and the agency has called for the limitation of Iran's nuclear activities, the overall report prepared is balanced. The Associated Press reminds that the recent report from the Director General contains fewer details compared to the agency's report before last year's nuclear agreement. The recent IAEA report essentially verifies all the items that Iran is obligated to implement under last year's agreement. The agency concludes that Iran has implemented most of these items and that the minor shortcomings that existed have been quickly addressed. Mr. Amano has stated that he will not yield to pressures and told the Associated Press that reporting on Iran will remain 'impartial, fact-based, and will include information that is deemed necessary by the agency.'