The "significant" headway made so far in connection with the Iran nuclear issue reflects the efficiency of diplomacy in addressing the most difficult issues, said the director general of the UN nuclear agency.
"There were important developments in relation to the Iran nuclear issue," Yukiya Amano said in a statement to the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday posted on IAEA's website.
"Much work remains to be done, but I believe the significant progress made on the Iran nuclear issue represents a real success for diplomacy. It demonstrates that even complex and challenging issues can be tackled effectively if all parties are committed to dialogue–not dialogue for its own sake, but dialogue aimed at achieving results."
After about two years of negotiations, Iran and P5+1 (the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany) reached a deal to end a 12-year dispute over Tehran's nuclear program.
The two sides are now working to prepare for the full implementation of the accord, officially referred to as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which gives Iran sanctions relief in exchange for temporary constraints on its nuclear work.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has undertaken to investigate Iran's nuclear past and present, and monitor its compliance with the terms of the action plan.
Parallel to the comprehensive deal, a roadmap agreement was signed with the IAEA committing Iran to provide enough information and explanations to the agency by October 15 to allow it to complete its inquiry into what it calls possible military dimensions of Tehran's nuclear program.
Iran says its nuclear activities are solely for peaceful purposes.
"Activities set out in the roadmap were completed by the target date of October 15," Amano said in the statement. The roadmap set a December 15 deadline for the IAEA chief to submit a final assessment report.
Final Analysis
"We are now finalizing our analysis of all the information at our disposal. I will present my final assessment on all past and present outstanding issues to the IAEA board of governors by December 15. My report will be factual, objective and impartial. Our member states will determine the appropriate response," he said.
The Vienna-based agency has a technical role and Amano never tires of stressing that he follows no political agenda.
"The sustained efforts of the IAEA, P5+1 countries, the [UN] Security Council and, of course, Iran itself have got us to where we are today. The IAEA was able to make a vital contribution by sticking to its technical mandate and not straying into politics," he said.
"The agreements reached in July represent a clear net gain for the IAEA from the verification point of view."
The UN Security Council adopted a resolution on July 20 to endorse the JCPOA.
Broader Conclusion
The deal says, "Eight years after Adoption Day or when the IAEA has reached the Broader Conclusion that all nuclear material in Iran remains in peaceful activities, whichever is earlier, the United States will seek such legislative action as may be appropriate to terminate, or modify to effectuate the termination of, the sanctions … on the acquisition of nuclear-related commodities and services for nuclear activities contemplated in this JCPOA, to be consistent with the US approach to other non-nuclear-weapon states under the NPT [nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty]."
Amano added, "The agency will continue to implement safeguards in Iran with a view to being able to draw what we call the Broader Conclusion–that all nuclear material remains in peaceful activities–in due course."
