Nuclear Concerns in Iran

Official press release:

IAEA Reports Nuclear Concerns in Iran
03/05/2020 05:02 PM EST

Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State

On March 3 in Vienna, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi issued two new reports that heighten already serious concerns that the Islamic Republic of Iran is hiding its nuclear material and nuclear activities.

Iran is a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty.  Iran’s safeguards agreements, under that Treaty, require it to declare nuclear material to the IAEA and provide IAEA inspectors with access for verification.  Iran’s intentional failure to declare such nuclear material would be a clear violation of its safeguards agreement required by the Non-Proliferation Treaty.  The regime must immediately cooperate with the IAEA and fully comply with its IAEA safeguards obligations.  Otherwise, the NPT isn’t worth the paper it is written on.

The IAEA’s latest reports are all the more troubling because we know that Iran continues to lie about its past nuclear weapons program and concealed a vast archive of records from those efforts when it concluded the nuclear deal – not to mention its lies about downing a civilian airliner, and its suppression of the extent of its coronavirus outbreak.  Given Iran’s prior covert nuclear weapons program and ignominious record of duplicity, any undeclared nuclear material or activities in Iran today would be an extremely serious matter.

The United States remains committed to denying Iran any pathway to a nuclear weapon.  In light of Iran’s past nuclear weapons program, it is imperative that Iran verifiably demonstrate that it has permanently abandoned all such work.  Any new deal addressing nuclear concerns in Iran must be built on robust and effective verification.
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The international community must speak clearly and with one voice:  full and transparent cooperation with the IAEA and compliance with the NPT is the only path forward for Iran.