The UN atomic watchdog's board Tuesday drew a line under a long-running probe into Iran's past efforts to develop nuclear weapons, removing an important obstacle to implementing July's landmark deal with big powers. A resolution approved by the International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-nation board of governors in Vienna "closes the board's consideration of the matter" and clears the way to annul previous resolutions.
Iran's envoy to the IAEA said afterwards that Tehran would now "accelerate" enacting July's accord to scale down its nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief, and fulfil its side of the bargain within "two to three weeks". The IAEA keeps close tabs on Iran's nuclear programme, and its inspections role is set to grow under July's hard-fought deal, which defused a stand-off dating back to 2002. But the Vienna-based watchdog has also long sought to clear up allegations that until 2003, and possibly since, Iran also secretly sought to develop an actual nuclear weapon.
After stalling for many years, Iran agreed in July to cooperate with the IAEA to address the claims. The IAEA on December 2 released a "final assessment" - even though it did not receive all the information it sought - concluding that some of the allegations were indeed accurate.
It said Iran conducted "a range of activities relevant to the development" of a nuclear bomb until 2009, although this work was preliminary and did not involve fissile material. Despite the findings, the six major powers - the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany, who co-authored the IAEA resolution - decided to move on. Despite Iran's "long history of concealment, denial and deception", the July deal is "forward-looking," the US ambassador to the IAEA, Henry Ensher, said Tuesday.