Yukiya Amano, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told the opening session of the group’s 35-nation Board of Governors meeting Monday that he is “increasingly concerned” that Iran is secretly working on a nuclear bomb. Amano said that in his quarterly report on Iran that was released last week. Amano repeated several other points that were in that report. But then he added one sentence that turned heads.
“In the near future, I hope to set out in greater detail the basis for the Agency’s concerns so that all member states are fully informed,” he said. He did not say when he would do that. Nor did he say whether he would release everything he has. He also didn’t make clear whether he would release the evidence publicly or just convey it in a closed-door meeting to member states.
The release of any evidence of Iranian work on nuclear weapons would add to the pressure on Iran.
Amano said, “Iran is not providing the necessary cooperation to enable the agency to provide credible assurance about the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities.”
The Islamic Republic last week spoke of an increased willingness to cooperate more with the IAEA about its disputed nuclear work. But the very next day it reversed that, saying it would continue its policy of giving the IAEA only that which Iran is legally required to give.
Amano did have something positive to say about Iran. He said it had demonstrated “greater transparency” during a five-day visit by a senior IAEA official to the country last month, when it showed facilities the agency had not had access to for several years.
But “greater transparency and Iran’s full proactive engagement are also needed concerning its other nuclear activities,” Amano pointedly added.
He noted that since the IAEA board last met in June, Iran had installed uranium enrichment centrifuges in a new underground bunker and also informed the IAEA about a planned new uranium conversion activity.
These steps are in “further contravention of Security Council and Board of Governors resolutions,” Amano said.