The UN nuclear agency's assessment report on Iran's nuclear past, expected in the coming days, should be "factual and balanced", the head of the Foreign Ministry's office for implementation of the July 14 nuclear deal said.
Noting that the assessment would be of significant impact on the JCPOA implementation, Abbas Araqchi added, "We expect [IAEA Director General Yukiya] Amano's report to the board of governors to be factual and balanced."
The accord will place constraints for specified durations on Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for relief from international sanctions.
Removal of sanctions will not go ahead until Implementation Day, when Iran is confirmed to have fully met its commitments under the deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
The International Atomic Energy Agency, which is tasked with investigating what it calls possible military dimensions of Tehran's nuclear past, faces a December 15 deadline to submit a final report for action by its board of governors.
The board will then consider the assessment report to vote whether to adopt a resolution, which P5+1 (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany) are bound by the accord to draft with a view to closing the PMD issue.
Clarifying Misunderstanding
On Amano's recent remarks that his report would be short of a definitive conclusion and far from being "black and white", Araqchi, who is also a deputy foreign minister, said Amano is not the one who is to close the PMD file, as the board of governors must decide on the issue.
"Policies and decisions of the IAEA are made by the board of governors and Amano implements them," the senior nuclear negotiator told reporters in Tehran on Sunday, IRNA reported.
The IAEA chief's comments were seized upon by some domestic critics of the JCPOA who interpreted them as an acknowledgement by Amano that the case could not be closed.
Iran has subjected the implementation of its commitments to the closure of the Vienna-based agency's probe.
"Our position is absolutely clear. To pursue the JCPOA, the PMD issue must be completely closed. Otherwise, we would not implement our commitments," Araqchi said.
Asked about the specific wording expected to be used in the board's resolution to ensure it would state the closure of the case, he said, "We are discussing the wording. The phrases to be used [in the text of the resolution] must convey the precise meaning that the case is closed and the board's consideration of the issue is concluded."
