United Nations watchdog decides to close nuclear weapons probe of Iran

After more than a decade of investigation, Yukiya Amano, the director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), delivered his final verdict on the military side of Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

Under the JCPOA Iran pledged never under any circumstances to seek, develop or acquire nuclear weapons, and the UN Security Council is to consider ending sanctions imposed for its NPT violations once it receives IAEAs report on verification.

The IAEA concluded that Iran conducted nuclear weapons-related research until 2003 and to a lesser extent until 2009, but found no evidence of this since.

While ballistic missile tests may violate U.N. Security Council sanctions, council diplomats note that such launches are not a violation of the nuclear deal, which is focused on specific nuclear activities by Iran.

MOSCOW/WASHINGTON U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday welcomed the United Nations nuclear watchdog’s decision to close its investigation into whether Iran once had a secret nuclear weapons program. Experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will monitor nuclear facilities in Iran for the next 25 years.

“While your administration has attempted to treat a Iran’s ballistic missile program as separate from Iran’s nuclear program, this approach does not withstand scrutiny”, Sens.

Under the JCPOA, sanctions will be suspended once Iran complies with the steps laid out.

U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power accused some unnamed council members of refusing to take action against Iran for sanctions violations in recent months, but said the United States will keep pressing for enforcement.

Iran has deeply been concerned with PMD of its nuclear program and has been waging efforts so that the Board closes the case once and for all.

According to the resolution, the non-diversion of Iran’s nuclear program to weapon-grade activities is, once more, confirmed and its “peaceful nature” is emphasized, he said.

The report by experts from the council committee monitoring sanctions against Iran supports the contention of the four countries that the firing violated United Nations sanctions.

Iran’s Defence Minister Hossein Dehqan said here on Wednesday that the long-range Emad missile which Iran test-fired in October was “totally conventional”, the official IRNA news agency reported.

Under the JCPOA, limits will be put on Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for, among other things, the removal of all economic and financial bans against Tehran. The breach could possibly attract additional sanctions against the Islamic republic.

Sen. Chris Coons (D., Del.), said that if the missile launches go unpunished, Iran would be emboldened.