Yukiya Amano: Review of Iran's Nuclear Program Still Requires Much Work

Yukiya Amano, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), stated that there is still a lot of work to be done by the end of this year to determine whether Iran was seeking to develop nuclear weapons in the past. According to a roadmap signed alongside the nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers, Iran must provide sufficient information and documents regarding its past nuclear program to the IAEA by the end of this year so that the agency can definitively comment on the peaceful or non-peaceful nature of the program. The IAEA will also be responsible for verifying Iran's nuclear program and confirming its peaceful nature in the future. According to Reuters, Amano said in a press conference on Monday, September 6, that Iran provided the agency with documents and explanations related to 'outstanding past and present issues' on August 15. Amano noted that the agency has reviewed this information and will present new questions to Tehran on September 15. The IAEA Director General expressed that he does not have 'particular concerns' about the agency's ability to complete its investigations by December 15. He stated that he will present his report on this matter by mid-December. Under the nuclear agreement between Iran, the U.S., the U.K., France, Germany, China, and Russia, if the IAEA does not confirm the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program, international sanctions against Iran will not be lifted. Amano's remarks coincided with the quarterly meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors, which began on Monday, September 6, in Vienna, Austria, where the latest status of Iran's nuclear program was a key focus. In its latest report published on August 27, the IAEA emphasized the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program at this time, but noted that it observed vehicles, equipment, and possibly construction materials at one of the sites in the Parchin military complex. This report was met with a reaction from Reza Najafi, Iran's permanent representative to the IAEA, who called it 'ridiculous.' The Parchin military site near Tehran is one of the main points of contention between Iran, world powers, and the IAEA, as the agency suspects that the Islamic Republic may have conducted activities related to nuclear weapons production at this site in the past. Iran has consistently denied this issue.