IAEA Chief: Nuclear Deal Monitoring Runs Smoothly

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran has been providing the UN nuclear watchdog with all the necessary access it requires to monitor Tehran's compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal, adding that the inspection process is going on smoothly.

In a Tuesday interview with Reuters, Yukiya Amano reiterated that Iran is in compliance with the provisions of its nuclear deal with the world powers, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

Amano noted that the agency's complementary access to Iran's nuclear site, which mainly consists of short-notice inspections under the Additional Protocol, continues smoothly.

“Complementary access in Iran is being undertaken without problem and the number of accesses is quite high,” he said.

The IAEA has repeatedly verified Iran's adherence to the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal involving Iran and world powers since January 2016, when the deal took effect.

However, the US, a party to the deal, claims that Iran is violating the "spirit" of the nuclear accord, and pushes for undermining the two-year accord.

The IAEA chief made the remarks days after US President Donald Trump called the deal an “embarrassment to the United States” and said he was considering whether to withdraw Washington from the 2015 deal.

Amano further called on signatories to the deal to "clarify" Section T of the agreement, which deals with the technology that could contribute to the development of a nuclear explosive device.

Russia contends that the IAEA has no authority over Section T, but western powers oppose Moscow’s argument.

Amano hoped that the parties to the deal would discuss the issue in the Joint Commission, a forum created by the deal to address issues related to its implementation.

“More clarification would be helpful ... Russia has a different view. They believe that it is not the mandate of the IAEA. Others have different views and discussions are ongoing,” Amano said.

*** JCPOA Withdrawal to Harm US Reliability

In a related development, the top US military officer warned on Tuesday that any American decision to walk away from the deal would make other nations less likely to enter into agreements with the United States.

US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford told the Senate Armed Services Committee that Tehran was complying with its obligations under the nuclear deal.

"It makes sense to me that our holding up of agreements that we have signed, unless there is a material breach, would have an impact on others’ willingness to sign agreements,” Dunford said during his reappointment hearing.

He was responding to a question by the committee’s top Democrat, Senator Jack Reed, who asked whether walking away from the nuclear pact would affect the US ability to negotiate with North Korea or devise a non-military solution toward Pyongyang.

Trump faces an October 15 deadline for certifying that Iran is complying with the deal.

If Trump refuses to do that, then the Republican-controlled Congress will have 60 days to decide whether to re-impose sanctions waived under the deal.

That would let Congress effectively decide whether to kill the deal.

All other parties to the deal, along with the entire international community, have thrown their weight behind the accord and verified Iran's full commitment to its side of the bargain.