BICOM

A report in Foreign Policy magazine suggests that the United States has made a discreet complaint over Iran’s apparent acquisition of illicit nuclear parts for the Arak heavy water reactor.

Foreign Policy says that it has seen a confidential report by a member country to a United Nations panel of experts tasked with overseeing Iran’s compliance with sanctions. The state in question is thought to be the United States, which complained of an “increase in procurement on behalf of the IR-40 Heavy Water Research Reactor at Arak.” The Arak heavy-water plant is particularly sensitive as once it is complete, it would be capable of producing plutonium for potential use in nuclear warheads.

In November 2013, an interim Joint Plan of Action was concluded between the P5+1 powers (US, UK, France, Russia, China and Germany) and Iran, under which Iran agreed to pause aspects of its nuclear programme in return for a relaxation of some sanctions. Specifically, this includes the suspension of work and construction at the Arak heavy water reactor. The terms of the arrangement, originally intended to last for just six months, were recently extended until 30 June 2015 after P5+1 representatives and Iranian officials failed to agree a long-term accord on Tehran’s nuclear development.

Several weeks ago, concerns were raised that Iran may have breached the terms of the agreement by feeding uranium into an advanced centrifuge. Experts have also expressed concerns that Iran has increased its stockpile of low enriched uranium, in breach of the agreement, by failing to convert three per cent enriched uranium at the agreed rate.

Iran has also failed to cooperate with the IAEA over its investigation into possible military dimensions of Iran’s nuclear programme.

In an op-ed yesterday in Yediot Ahronot, UK Ambassador to Israel Matthew Gould pledged that, “The UK and its partners will not settle for just any deal. It will have to be the right deal, one in which the whole world, including Israel, should have confidence.”