Concerns about a Reduction of Transparency in IAEA Reporting on Iran’s Nuclear Program

While the U.S. administration maintains that Iran has thus far complied with the nuclear deal, the recent International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report indicates that for the second time, Iran has exceeded the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action’s (JCPOA) limit for its inventory of heavy water. Its heavy water inventory is now slightly greater than permitted quantities, though it does not at this stage, and in itself, materially impact on the breakout time under the agreement.

Still, this is concerning due to the fact that Iran exceeded the limit intentionally. And while Iran stated that it is planning to ship out five tons of material at a later date, it shows disrespect for the nuclear terms of the agreement. Iranian officials have also continued to flaunt their nuclear ambitions, raising questions about whether Iran is violating the spirit of the agreement. As recently as August 2016, Mohammad-Javad Larijani, a foreign affairs adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, called for building a “massive institute for nuclear research” and said that to deter a Western attack, Iran must convince the world that it can build a bomb within 48 hours.

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