Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 4
By Dalga Khatinoglu - Trend:
A former consultant at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) believes that IAEA Secretary General Yukiya Amano's latest report about Iran's nuclear program has been arranged not to create any obstacles for the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) by Iran and the P5+1 group (the US, UK, France, Russia, China, and Germany).
"The report says there are no evidence indicating that Iran has been doing anything to militarize its nuclear program since 2009. It also says that there are no signs indicating that Iran has a covert enrichment program either. Therefore, grounds have been laid for the implementation of the JCPOA," Behrooz Bayat told Trend on Dec.4.
But, the report, which according to Amano is not outright black and white, contains some disputable information too, he said.
One of such disputed issues is about 2003, when Iran followed an organized, structural actions to militarize its nuclear program. These actions continued up until 2009. The report, yet, delimits the activities to primary acts such as feasibility assessment and research and development.
Also, Amano's report points to some other cases in which Iran's answers have not been satisfactory, while the cases themselves weren't alarming.
In reaction to the IAEA's new report, Iran's deputy foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said that all measures over the past issues have been completely concluded and the possible military dimensions (PMD) case has been left behind.
"I believe that the report provides enough ground for people whose attention is focused on the future and the implementation of the JCPOA to take related steps and push for the implementation of the JCPOA starting December 15. On the other hand, the darker sides of the report create alibi for people, organizations, and countries which do not favor the Iran nuclear deal," Bayat said.
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.
Previously, the US State Department's Persian Language Spokesperson Alan Eyre told Trend that the US will take steps to implement its commitments regarding the closure of the PMD of Iran's nuclear program.
"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 had said.
Meanwhile, Bayat said that all in all, the report can be evaluated as positive, because on one side, it leads to the implementation of the JCPOA, gives Iran a chance to open up to the world and on the other hand meets West's concerns about Iran's nuclear program.
Under the deal reached between Iran and the P5+1 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.