Obstruction Redux?

01 December 2015 | 21:35 Code : 1954374 From Other Media General category

Despite its recent lucrative economic agreements with Tehran, Paris is still following the line it had during nuclear negotiations.

One day before Yukia Amano releases his report on the Possible Military Dimensions (PMD) of Iran’s nuclear program, the Foreign Ministry of France has reiterated remarks that evoke memories of its unconstructive behavior during the nuclear talks.

According to Iranian Ambassador to the IAEA Reza Najafi, Amano will release the PMD report on either Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday morning. Thus, the P5+1 (five veto-wielding powers of the UN Security Council plus Germany) will have two weeks' time to submit a resolution to the IAEA Board of Governors to close the Iran dossier.

Despite the fortnight gap, there have been ample speculations over the content of Amano’s report and the P5+1’s behavior in the Board of Governors.

Western analysts claim that the resolution will not clear Iran from allegations on a military nuclear program and will only call for closure of the case. In the meantime, hardliner circles are calling for Amano’s full coverage of Iran’s progress through the alleged path towards development of a nuclear weapon.

As evidence suggests, France, along with the US, is following this line.

On Monday, French officials stated that they expect the IAEA to demonstrate transparency in its report on the possible military dimensions of Iran’s nuclear program.

“France will with interest become aware of this report this week," France’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Romain Nadal said on Monday. "We are expecting that the IAEA provide with the necessary detail all the information it possesses.”

The IAEA report will cover twelve issues set forth by Yukia Amano in November 2011 concerning the possible military dimensions of Iran’s nuclear program before 2003.

According to Reuters, diplomats do not expect a clear-cut report by the IAEA. On Thursday, Amano reiterated his previous remarks that he cannot guarantee that Iran’s nuclear program is exclusively peaceful. In response, Iran’s Foreign Ministry and Head of the National Security Council Ali Shamkhani stressed that closure of the PMD case is a precondition to implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

* This piece was originally published in Tabnak, a moderate Principlist website affiliated with former IRGC commander Mohsen Rezaei.