UN nuclear watchdog chief blasts Iran for stonewalling military activities probe

from the Israel Project’s the Daily Tip, Sept. 15, 2014

Reuters reported Monday that the UN nuclear watchdog (IAEA) chief Yukiya Amano was increasing pressure on Iran to enhance transparency around its atomic program, after a September 7th IAEA report concluded that the Iranians were continuing to stonewall efforts to clarify the so-called “possible military dimensions” (PMDs) of their atomic program. Iran is obligated by binding United Nations Security Council resolutions to clarify international concerns regarding PMD-related activities, which range from military involvement in acquiring nuclear material to tests related to the development of nuclear warheads. The September 7th report noted that Iran had not only failed to enhance transparency around some of those activities, but had continued destroying relevant evidence and sites, and thereby “likely… further undermined the Agency’s ability to conduct effective verification.” Reuters assessed that Amano’s Monday comments – which included a blunt call on Iran to “be as transparent as possible to clarify these issues” – were likely to “further complicate efforts by six world powers to negotiate a resolution to the wider, decade-old dispute with Iran over its nuclear work.” They came as Washington and its allies seemingly struggled to calibrate their positions toward the Islamic republic amid preparations for a Western push against ISIS. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei released a statement on Monday boasting that the Obama administration had asked for help from Tehran, and had been rebuffed. Khamenei was explicit that “Secretary of State [John Kerry] personally asked Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and he rejected the request.” The New York Times subsequently conveyed statements from Kerry indicating that the White House remained open to working with the Iranians despite what the outlet described as “sarcastic criticism from Iran’s supreme leader.” State Department spokesperson Marie Harf seemed to reverse that position at Monday’s afternoon press conference, stating that “we do not want to coordinate with, we are not planning to coordinate with Iran in any way on Iraq, period… we are not coordinating with them.”