US: The Agency Must Investigate Any Valid Concerns Regarding Iran's Undeclared Activities

The US delegation issued a statement on Thursday, December 2, during the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors meeting in Vienna, welcoming Yukiya Amano's recent report and stating that the Agency must investigate any new and valid concerns regarding Iran's undeclared nuclear activities. The statement praised the 'excellent and professional' work of the Agency in fulfilling its responsibilities towards Iran, while also welcoming Amano's November 13 report on monitoring and verifying Iran's commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). On the same day, Amano confirmed Iran's compliance with the JCPOA during the quarterly meeting of the 35-member IAEA Board of Governors. The US delegation's statement also referenced the review of US policies towards Iran, stating that after these reviews, they clearly announced their commitment to continue fulfilling their obligations under the agreement and expect Iran to do the same. The US statement emphasized that only transparent and complete implementation of the agreement by Iran would allow the IAEA to assure the international community of Iran's full compliance with its commitments. Furthermore, the statement highlighted the IAEA's role in monitoring and verifying Iran's commitments as essential for the success of the JCPOA. The US delegation added that any new and valid concerns regarding Iran's undeclared nuclear activities, including any potential issues related to military dimensions, must be investigated by the Agency. They expressed full confidence that the Agency and its highly skilled inspectors are capable of performing this task correctly. Previously, Ali Shamkhani, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, stated that Iran has 'no undeclared nuclear activities in any geographical area of the country.' The US statement also noted that the United States has allocated one million dollars to the Agency's activities for monitoring and verifying the JCPOA. Yukiya Amano stated in the IAEA Board of Governors meeting that the IAEA is monitoring and verifying all nuclear commitments [under the 2015 agreement], which includes Section T. According to Section T of the JCPOA, 'activities that could contribute to the design and development of a nuclear explosive device are prohibited.' Amano remarked, 'To date, the Agency has had access to all necessary locations for inspections... At this stage, I have no concerns to raise.' Iran and six world powers, including the US, Russia, China, France, and the UK, along with Germany, reached an agreement (JCPOA) in July 2015, under which Tehran agreed to suspend or halt many of its nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions against the Islamic Republic. Under this agreement, the IAEA is responsible for verifying Iran's commitments and their implementation.