BICOM

The United Nations nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Iran yesterday released a joint statement detailing five steps which Iran has agreed to take towards addressing concerns over its nuclear programme by 25 August.

According to the statement, Iran has committed to supply information over “allegations related to the initiation of high explosives, including the conduct of large scale high explosives experimentation in Iran,” thought to include so-called Explosive Wire Detonators, which can be used to help trigger an atomic explosion. Another clause says Iran must provide “information and explanations related to studies … in Iran in relation to neutron transport … and their alleged application to compressed materials.” Both of these issues were highlighted in a landmark IAEA report in 2011 which detailed intelligence that Iran carried out tests and experiments which could be relevant for the development of nuclear weapons. Suspicions that such activity took place at least as far back as 2003 have yet to be allayed.

Yesterday’s statement comes after an agreement in November, under which Iran told the IAEA that it would comply with seven transparency steps to help address suspicions over a military dimension to Iran’s nuclear development. However, Iran has yet to satisfactorily comply with several of these measures. Within the coming days, the IAEA is expected to issue its latest quarterly report on Iran’s nuclear activity.

Although the IAEA talks with Iran are separate from the diplomatic process between Tehran and the P5+1 powers (US, UK, France, Russia, China and Germany), they are considered complimentary, as a measure of Iranian openness. Talks in Vienna last week between P5+1 representatives and Iranian officials ended without any tangible progress made, as the two sides look to reach a long-term agreement over Iran’s nuclear development before 20 July. It is thought that wide gaps remain on a number of issues, including Iran’s uranium enrichment capacity, the Arak heavy water reactor and “possible military dimensions” to the Iranian programme.