Unclear whether Iran ever worked on nuclear weapons, U.N. report finds
World
Unclear whether Iran ever worked on nuclear weapons, U.N. report finds
The U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency is preparing to wrap up a probe of more than a decade into alleged nuclear weapons work by Iran, but its report will stop short of delivering a judgment on whether the suspicions are valid, the agency’s chief said Thursday. The report is meant to put the issue to rest after years of on-and-off attempts to investigate the allegations. The U.S. and its allies say Tehran conducted past research and development of such weapons. Iran says the accusations are based on false intelligence from its adversaries.
The report will not be black and white.
IAEA chief Yukiya Amano
The issue has dominated IAEA meetings, contributed to U.N. Security Council resolutions against Iran and is now playing a role in whether sanctions will be lifted under the landmark nuclear deal Tehran signed with six world powers that is expected to be implemented early next year. But the comments by the IAEA chief made clear that his assessment will contain enough gray zones to leave the question unresolved. Still, the report will likely be seized upon both by opponents and supporters of the July deal.
This is like a jigsaw puzzle. We have pieces, we have a better understanding and we will analyze and provide an assessment. This is not an issue which can be answered ‘yes’ or 'no.’
IAEA chief Yukiya Amano
