IAEA: Military issues in Iran's nuke program won't block deal
Iran is dragging its feet on resolving questions about possible military nuclear research, but the head of the IAEA suggests cooperation will accelerate if and when there is a long-term nuclear agreement.
Yukiya Amano, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told Al-Monitor Oct. 31 that Iran’s halting cooperation so far in explaining possible military-related nuclear work would not derail ongoing negotiations on a long-term nonproliferation agreement.
“It should not be an impediment,” Amano said after the conclusion of remarks at the Brookings Institution in Washington.
Iran, which signed a new framework for resolving so-called PMD, or "possible military dimensions," issues with the IAEA a year ago, has so far provided information about only one of a dozen key questions, Amano said, involving so-called exploding bridge wires. He said he was not surprised that cooperation had slowed as negotiators from the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany (P5+1) enter the endgame in talks that currently have a Nov. 24 deadline.
“Now is not the best time to make progress,” Amano acknowledged in response to another question from Al-Monitor. “I continue to hope this issue of possible military dimensions will be clarified as soon as possible. It is the intention of Iran and it is the intention of the IAEA.”
