Iran reacts to IAEA chief report on PMD

Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has in its report confirmed Iran’s full cooperation with the UN nuclear agency based on roadmap, which has enabled the body to release its final evaluation on Possible Military Dimensions (PMD).

In reaction to IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano’s new report on its final evaluation regarding PMD released on Wednesday, Araghchi added, “Therefore, all measures over the past issues have completely concluded and PMD has been left behind.”

No phrase denoting Iran’s diversion from its commitments regarding NPT is seen in the report, he said, adding the agency has also verified Iran’s nuclear program in its report.

Araghchi noted that the report has endorsed the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program, paving the way for the PMD case to be closed by the Board of Governors.

Therefore, as per Paragraph 14 of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), P5+1 should offer a resolution to the Board of Governors with the aim of ending the issue of PMD, Araghchi said, noting that the body should approve the resolution and close the case.

He said that the measure will take place within two weeks.

Responding to a question over the allegations regarding Iran’s attempts to build nuclear weapon, Araghchi said that the IAEA has clearly announced that no diversion has been seen in Iran’s nuclear-related activities.

The agency has also rejected conducting experimental blasts in Marivan, confirming Iran’s assertion that the issue is baseless, he said.

Asked about the IAEA’s claim that Iran has carried out little activities with certain technologies of dual-use prior to 2003, Araghchi said that all studies on double purpose technologies in Iran have been conducted for peaceful ends.

Furthermore, studies on such technologies are also rampant in other countries, the official said, noting that what is important is that the program does not divert from peaceful purposes, as the main duty of the IAEA is verifying non-diversion.

Responding to a question over the existence of experiment chamber in Parchin in 2000 based on satellite photos, he said that Iran provided the agency with more reliable photos, negating its claims. Not to mention that director general of the IAEA in person visited the site and saw no chamber there.

The main point in the report is that the final evaluation of the agency rejected many of the past allegations or cast doubt over them, Araghchi added.

Iran has on several occasions announced that nuclear weapons have no place in Iran’s defense doctrine, he said.

Now that the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program has been known to all, the other parties should fulfill their commitments including closing the file of PMD in the session on December 15.