Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 3
By Umid Niayesh- Trend:
The united States will take steps to implement its commitments regarding the closure of the possible military dimensions (PMD) of Iran's nuclear program, the US State Department's Persian Language Spokesperson Alan Eyre said.
"Now that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General, Yukiya Amano has issued its report, we will work with the EU as well as other members of the P5+1 and the IAEA Board of Governors, in order to close the PMD case within our commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)," Eyre told Trend Dec. 3.
At the same time the all parties will take necessary steps in order to prepare for the implementation day of the JCPOA, he added.
The IAEA released a report Dec. 2 suggesting Tehran had a nuclear weapons program for years.
"The Agency assesses that a range of activities relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device were conducted in Iran prior to the end of 2003 as a coordinated effort," the IAEA said, adding those activities continued after 2003, though in a less coordinated manner, and there was no credible indication of any beyond 2009.
Under a deal reached between Iran and the P5+1(the US, France, Britain, Germany, China, and Russia) last July, sanctions against Tehran will be lifted in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear activities. The IAEA has been given the role of verifying Iran's commitments under the deal.
Washington and the other members of the P5+1 will submit a motion to the IAEA board on December 15 to close the PMD issue.
Eyre further said that the IAEA report is consistent with the past US intelligence assessments that indicate Iran has halted its nuclear weapon program by 2003.
He also said that the full implementation of JCPOA will facilitate the IAEA's mission to ensure that the Iran's nuclear program is limited to only peaceful purposes.
The JCPOA prepares the needed transparency and access, in order to take immediate actions if Iran repeats such activities in the future, Eyre underlined.
In reaction to the IAEA's new report, Iran's deputy foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said that all measures over the past issues have completely concluded and PMD has been left behind.
The IAEA has in its report confirmed Iran's full cooperation with the entity based on roadmap, which has enabled the body to release its final evaluation on the PMD, the top Iranian diplomat said.
Therefore, as per Paragraph 14 of the JCPOA, the P5+1 should offer a resolution to Board of Governors with the aim of ending the issue of PMD, Araqchi said, noting that the body should approve the resolution and close the case.
Iran's ambassador to the IAEA, Reza Najafi earlier said that agency is expected to announce closure of the PMD case in a statement by mid-December, adding after that Iran will take steps to redesign its Arak heavy water reactor and eliminate its low enriched uranium stockpile.
Follow the author on Twitter: @UmidNiayesh