IAEA ends Iran ‘weapons’ probe

The U.N. nuclear agency closed the books Tuesday on its decade-long probe of allegations that Iran worked on atomic arms, and Tehran proclaimed that within weeks, it would finish cutbacks on present nuclear programs that the US fears could be turned into making such weapons.

“While it was not possible for the agency to reconstruct all the details of activities conducted by Iran in the past, we were able to clarify enough elements to provide an assessment of the whole picture”, said Yukiya Amano, director of the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog.

Iran violated a U.N. Security Council resolution with its October test of a ballistic missile that had a nuclear capability, sanctions monitors said. “Serious doubts and outstanding issues regarding Iran’s programme still remain”.

It’s been 90 days since the United Nations approved the Iran Nuclear Deal, which means the country is now tasked with reducing its nuclear program.

What did the years-long, formal investigation into Iran’s alleged nuclear weapons program find?

Positive news on Iran’s nuclear agreement with world powers “could have a psychological downward impact on the global oil prices”, Vakhshouri said.

However, he warned it would not preclude a future investigation “if there is reason to believe Iran is pursuing any covert nuclear activities in the future, as it had in the past”.

Republicans in Congress who disapprove of the Iran nuclear deal were seizing on the United Nations panel’s findings as grounds for additional congressional sanctions.

Tuesday’s IAEA decision removes an important obstacle to implementing July’s landmark deal with world powers on scaling down Iran’s nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which aggressively lobbied against the deal, also condemned the vote as a “deplorable” development.

A report released on December 2 by Amano on Iran’s nuclear program confirmed that the agency has no credible indications of suspicious work in Tehran’s nuclear activities.

Unlike previous statements, it avoids criticism of Iran, saying only “we note” the IAEA conclusion.

The board then ruled that Iran had cooperated with the investigation and that “this closes the board’s consideration of this item”.

With companies from the six powers and other nations lining up to do business in Iran once sanctions are lifted, there had been little opposition to the resolution.

“The Chinese delegation welcomes the resolution just adopted by the Board of Governors”, said Cheng Jingye, China’s ambassador to IAEA, in the board meeting, adding “We are confident that the adoption of the resolution will be positive in facilitating the smooth launch and implementation of the JCPOA…”