IAEA Report on Iran’s JCPOA Compliance Shows Tehran Still Fully Cooperating with Agency

Aug. 31, 2019 (EIRNS)—The International Atomic Energy Agency yesterday filed its 16th report on Iran’s compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the 2015 nuclear deal by which Iran agreed to restrictions on its nuclear program in return for the lifting of UN economic sanctions. According to AP, which says it saw a copy of the report, it confirms Iran’s announced reductions in its commitments, but at the same time reports that Iran is otherwise fully cooperative with the agency. The IAEA reported that Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium exceeds the amount allowed by the agreement, and that Iran is enriching uranium up to 4.5%, above the 3.67% allowed.

Iran’s ambassador to the IAEA Kazem Gharib-Abadi reiterated yesterday that Iran’s full compliance with the deal “is based on full compliance by all parties to the deal.” According to Mehr News, he also described the IAEA report as indicating Iran’s good will for preserving multilateralism in international relations, and as verifying its compliance.

The IAEA report comes as the back-and-forth continues over whether there will be U.S.-Iran talks. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, speaking following a brief meeting among Germany, France and the U.K. on Aug. 30 in Helsinki, said he wanted to ensure a pledge by U.S. President Donald Trump to defuse tensions with Iran bears fruit. He said a return to dialogue between Washington and Tehran now has “priority” over other EU initiatives such as a mission to protect oil shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. “After the G7 summit in Biarritz we are all of the opinion that themomentum that perhaps exists, the readiness for dialogue on both sides ... must now be used,” Maas said.

From Tehran comes further rejection of negotiating with the U.S. at all. Tehran’s Provisional Friday Prayers Leader Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, in his Friday address to worshippers Aug. 30, said any talks would be madness. “As Leader of the Islamic Revolution [Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei] has declared, no negotiation with the U.S. would take place and the [Iranian] officials and people have announced this in unison,” he was quoted by Tasnim news. “It would be folly to negotiate with the ‘promise-breakers,’ ” he said. “As our President [Hassan Rouhani] has said, we are not crazy to negotiate with the Americans.

“Negotiation would be meaningful when it happens on an equal footing, otherwise, it cannot be called negotiation; it would be domination, and our nation has not accepted domination for 40 years,” the cleric declared.