Iran Provides “Detailed Answers” to IAEA

Policy Brief Program

August 2023

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Iran Shares New Details on Nuclear Program:

• On July 26, the head of Iran’s civilian nuclear program, Mohammad Eslami, announced that Iran had given “detailed answers” to the United Nations’ International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) regarding traces of manmade uranium. 
  • The uranium traces were linked to the Turquzabad and Varamin facilities, both undeclared sites outside Tehran.
  • According to a March IAEA report, Iran used Varamin from 1999 to 2003 as a pilot project to process uranium ore to be used in enrichment. After Varamin was demolished in 2004, the IAEA believes material was brought to Turquzabad but has claimed that this alone cannot “explain the presence of the multiple types of isotopically altered particles” which were found there. 
•  These findings make Iran in violation of international protocol.     
  • As a signatory to the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Iran must declare nuclear sites to the IAEA and allow inspections. 
• Iran did not elaborate publicly on the specifics of the information given to the IAEA. 
• When discussing the matter, Eslami said: “If those answers are not accepted and there are any ambiguities or doubts, as we have always said, we will clarify and revise the documents.”

Motivating Factors in Cooperation:

• In recent months, Iran has increased cooperation with the IAEA.
  • The IAEA announced in March that Iran had pledged to restore surveillance cameras at nuclear sites and to allow inspections.  
  •  IAEA Director Rafael Mariano Grossi assessed: “These are not words. This is very concrete.” 
• Cooperating with the international community may help Iran achieve political objectives. 
  • Notably, UN Security Council Resolution 2231 and international sanctions on Iran’s ballistic missile program are set to expire in October 2023. 
  • Answering the IAEA’s questions could help Iran avoid further censure.  
• Despite this, European diplomats already announced in June that they informed Iran that the EU would retain sanctions on Iran’s ballistic missile program. 
• The diplomats’ reasoning cited possible ballistic missile transfers to Russia, the use of Iranian drones in Ukraine, and depriving Iran of JCPOA benefits given that Iran violated the deal following the U.S. withdrawal.

Background:

• Talks between the U.S. and Iran on returning to the JCPOA have reached a stalemate. 
  • The United States, Iran, and other world powers signed the JCPOA in 2015; however, in 2018, then-President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the deal. 
  • Citing the U.S.’ withdrawal as a violation, Iran has breached the deal multiple times, enriching uranium to higher than previously agreed upon levels and limiting the IAEA’s ability to inspect nuclear sites.  
  • In 2021, the Biden Administration began to engage diplomatically with Iran to resume compliance with the JCPOA, but cooperation has faltered due to disagreements from both sides.   
• In the past year, the U.S. has sanctioned Iran and Iranian officials for drone transfers to Russia and for human right abuses related to recent protests. 
• In wake of the rise of tensions, Western officials have continued to stress the importance of Iran’s cooperation with the IAEA.