IAEA Report

IAEA Report on Iran Released

By Tyler Nottberg and Olga Prygoda
The Eisenhower Institute

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WASHINGTON, July 2 -- At the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors meeting June 16-19, Director-General Mohamed El-Baradei released a highly anticipated report on Iran's nuclear program entitled, "Implementation of the NPT Safeguards Agreement in the Islamic Republic of Iran." The report finds that Iran "failed to meet its obligations under its Safeguards Agreement with respect to the reporting of nuclear material, the subsequent processing and use of that material and the declaration of facilities where the material was stored and processed." On the same day, IAEA Chairwoman Nabeela Al-Mulla stated that the Board of Governors is calling on Iran to "promptly and unconditionally conclude and implement an Additional Protocol to its Safeguards Agreement."

While a central finding of the report is that Iran's failure to inform the IAEA of its nuclear activities is "of serious concern," it also notes that "these failures are in the process of being rectified by Iran." In addition, El-Baradei commented that, "The adherence of Iran to an Additional Protocol would constitute a significant step forward."

The Additional Protocol was drafted under US leadership in 1995 to complement the 1970 Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT). Its purpose is to introduce measures that would facilitate increased access to information and facilities, including the disclosure of all nuclear sites ranging from uranium mines to nuclear waste storage facilities, and the simplification of procedures for short-notice inspections. In the case of Iran, it would mean more intrusive inspections by the IAEA. Until now the protocol has been signed only by a handful of countries, including the US and Russia.

Iran's official reaction to the June 19 report acknowledged the impartiality of the IAEA, stressing the importance of IAEA-Iranian cooperation. In addition, Iran made positive overtures about considering the Additional Protocol. British Foreign Minister Jack Straw expressed his hope that Iran would follow through on these words. In a related statement, he then commented on the complex political situation underlying these issues by warning the US about supporting demonstrators within Iran who are opposed to the clerical regime: "The thing that would most derail the process toward the establishment of a better democracy in Iran would be suggestions that the opposition there was being orchestrated from outside."

On June 20, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he had received a personal assurance from Iran that it had no plans to build nuclear weapons and is prepared to accept tighter international controls over its nuclear program. At a news conference, Putin said he had spoken with Iranian President Mohammad Khatami by telephone and had been told that "the Iranian leadership is ready to fully join all protocols" and comply with IAEA demands.

On June 22, the head of Iran's atomic energy program, Gholamreza Aghazadeh, declared that Iran is ready to collaborate closely with UN inspectors and the IAEA to, "eliminate any suspicion of Iran using nuclear energy for non-peaceful purposes." Furthermore, Iran's representative to the IAEA Board of Governors said that his country is committed to "transparency and openness" in nuclear cooperation, referring to Russian-Iranian collaboration on a nuclear reactor in Bushehr, underway since 1995.

And then on July 1, the Russian news agency Itar-Tass reported that Gholamreza said Iran, "is ready to sign the Additional Protocol to the agreement on nonproliferation of nuclear weapons, but only in an atmosphere of transparency and trust regarding the participants of this document." According to a statement released by Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov's office on the same day, Iran's signing of the agreement would, "be another confirmation of the peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear program as well as of the close cooperation of Iran with the agency."

The IAEA Board of Governors has asked for further cooperation from Iran and has instructed Mr. El-Baradei to provide updates whenever appropriate. To follow up, the IAEA has scheduled another fact-finding mission to Iran in August.