Yukiya Amano: The Nuclear Agreement Remains Fragile

Yukiya Amano, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which oversees the implementation of the nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers, stated in an interview with the German news agency that the implementation of the nuclear agreement is "still fragile." Mr. Amano emphasized that any "small technical failure or mistake in implementation could turn into a major political issue and have a significant negative impact on this agreement." He had previously mentioned in an interview with the French newspaper Le Monde that Iran has fulfilled all its commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) since the beginning of this year. According to him, Iran had approximately 900 kilograms more heavy water than permitted in February but took necessary actions following the IAEA's warning. Nevertheless, the Islamic Republic of Iran has complained about "the delay of the United States in fulfilling its commitments regarding the JCPOA." Mr. Amano reiterated before his trip to Germany that any "small technical failure or mistake in implementation could turn into a major political issue and have a significant negative impact on this agreement." Iranian President Hassan Rouhani stated on October 2 in New York that "the complaint we have against the United States regarding the implementation of the JCPOA over the past eight months is that we have witnessed delays and, in some cases, negligence and a lack of transparency in fulfilling its commitments." Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also mentioned on October 3 at the Council on Foreign Relations in the United States that eight months after this agreement, no major European bank is willing to start cooperation with Iran due to concerns about punitive actions from the United States. However, the United States claims it has taken necessary actions based on the agreement made between the six world powers and Iran. Meanwhile, earlier this week, Ali Larijani, the Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, refused to meet with Sigmar Gabriel, the German Minister of Economy. Mr. Gabriel's spokesperson told Reuters that he was unaware of the reason for the cancellation of this meeting. This occurred after the German Minister of Economy called for Tehran to pursue fundamental reforms and greater efforts for a ceasefire in Syria. Concurrently, during the U.S. election campaign, Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, sharply criticized the nuclear agreement, stating that contrary to his previous claim of tearing up the agreement, this action would be difficult. Yukiya Amano also noted in his remarks to the German news agency that there is little trust between Tehran and Washington.