IAEA Satisfied With Iran’s Nuclear Deal Compliance

International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Yukiya Amano praised Iran for upholding its side of the 2015 nuclear deal with major powers.

His agency is charged with monitoring Tehran’s compliance with the agreement, which took effect in mid-January to scale back its nuclear program in return for relief from international sanctions.

“We are satisfied with the implementation of the JCPOA and hope that this process will continue. Iran has been committed to its engagement so far and this is important,” Amano was quoted as saying by Fars News Agency.

JCPOA stands for the formal title of the deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

He made the statement in a joint press conference after meeting the head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Ali Akbar Salehi, in Tehran on Sunday.

Amano's visit is part of regular high-level contacts between the agency and Iran, the IAEA had said in a statement on Friday.

Salehi, in his remarks to the presser, noted that reports released so far by the Vienna-based agency on JCPOA confirm Amano's compliment.

"Fortunately, the agency's reports after the action plan went into force have all reflected Iran's [full] commitment to its obligations, which is very important."

Salehi said in the meeting with the IAEA chief, he again dismissed recent criticism voiced by Amano's organization and western sides to the deal that Tehran overstepped a limit on its heavy water stockpile.

An IAEA report last month claimed Tehran surpassed the 130-metric-ton threshold for heavy water, a material used as a moderator in reactors like Iran's unfinished one at Arak that has been put out of use.

Iran accepted that limit on its nuclear program as part of its commitments under the JCPOA.

The report said it had 130.1 tons of the material.

Iran denied the claim by invoking the loose wording used in the text of the deal to specify that limit.

JCPOA stipulates that Iran should not have more heavy water than it needs, adding that those needs are "estimated" to be 130 tons.

Salehi said the excess 100 kg is too insignificant to be considered a breach of the deal.

Shortly after the dispute, Iran shipped 11 tons of its heavy water to Oman.

  Grievances

Amano also held talks with President Hassan Rouhani after the conference.

Rouhani reiterated the Islamic Republic's grievances over a recent US Congress' measure to renew the Iran Sanctions Act.

"The recent US measures, especially the ISA bill, are a violation of the JCPOA," President.ir quoted him as saying.

The White House has said the legislation would become law without President Barack Obama's signature.

In response to the Congress' move, Rouhani issued a directive on Tuesday to develop nuclear marine propulsion systems and the fuel to power such systems for use in marine transportation.

Rouhani called for IAEA's cooperation to help Iran build such nuclear-powered marine vessels.

"I hope that Iran and the IAEA will engage in a good technical cooperation on the development of nuclear propulsion systems to be used in sea transportation," he said.