Kerry welcomes IAEA decision to close nuclear arms probe of Iran

“Closing the PMD agenda item will in no way preclude the IAEA from investigating if there is reason to believe Iran is pursuing any covert nuclear activities in the future, as it had in the past”, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Tuesday after the resolution was passed.

The IAEA generated a report that strongly suggested Iran participated in coordinate actions directed at developing a nuclear bomb up until 2003, though it found no credible hint of weapons-related work beyond 2009. Chief Iranian delegate Reza Najafi denied such work, in line with his country’s constant line throughout the protracted probe.

“Iran is continuing to focus on further improvement of the performance of its existing ballistic missile system with a particular focus on accuracy”, said the report.

Security Council resolution 1929, which bans ballistic missile tests, was adopted in 2010 and remains valid until the nuclear deal is implemented.

Amano hailed the “very important milestone”. He is the author of the newly published ‘Manufactured Crisis: The Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare’. “We can not be complacent”.

Power “rejected the notion that countries raising the matter of such violations in the council were responsible for destabilizing” the Iranian nuclear agreement, adding that “council members seeking a council response to such violations were not the rule breakers”. Najafi said that transfer would be completed “within two or three days”.

Just once the Vienna-based United Nations agency’s inspectors have confirmed that all the constraints are in effect will worldwide sanctions battering the Iranian economy be lifted.

An EU statement reflects the will to move on.

He emphasized that the question of ways that the IAEA will fund its additional activities in Iran under the JCPOA must be addressed. Refraining from previous critical language, the European Union said only “we note” the agency conclusion.

Iran and six world powers reached a landmark nuclear deal on July 14, and the Security Council gave its endorsement in a resolution on July 20 that also asked Iran not to test any ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, according to The Associated Press.

The development marks a positive step towards normalizing Iran’s relations with the global community, analysts said.

The U.N. has yet to formally act on those tests, which do not violate the nuclear agreement but are banned by U.N. Security Council resolutions.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said “serious doubts and outstanding issues” remained following the report.

The IAEA’s board of governors approved a resolution presented by Director General Yukiya Amano earlier this month that recommended the United Nations nuclear watchdog close the file.

“For over a decade, Iran has been non-cooperative and deceptive”, a ministry statement read.