IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano voiced concern about increasing tensions over the Iranian nuclear issue, while underscoring the crucial importance that Iran fully implements its nuclear-related commitments under the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) 2015 multilateral nuclear agreement. During his opening remarks at a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Board of Governors, Amano insisted that “the nuclear-related commitments entered into by Iran under the JCPOA represents a significant gain for nuclear verification.” Amano voiced hope that ways can be found to reduce current tensions through dialogue, and urged the Islamic Republic to fully implement its nuclear commitments. The Agency’s Director General also addressed the recent declaration by Tehran’s Supreme National Security Council that it “issued an order to stop some of Iran’s measures under the JCPOA,” but insisted that “evaluations regarding the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran continue.” In response to Amano’s remarks, former IAEA director General Olli Heinonen told TV7 that “It appears that Iran has not informed the Agency directly about stopping some measures, but lets the IAEA find [out about] it from the news, and see changes on ground as they come.” Dr. Heinonen further indicated an Iranian shift of tactics vis-à-vis the nuclear watchdog, saying that “in the past, when problems started to arise, the IAEA was kept informed through written communications, which were reflected in the reports.”
