IAEA to Release Report on Iran Nuclear Program Next Week

The IAEA may release details of Iran’s response to the agency’s demands in its report, Reuters quoted the sources as saying.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi expressed the hope that the UN nuclear agency would seize the opportunity to interact with Iran under a roadmap for bilateral cooperation signed in November last year.

He cautioned that Tehran might gradually become mistrustful of the UN agency if it procrastinates on ending discussions on the so-called Exploding Bridge Wire (EBW) detonators.

Back in November 2013, IAEA Chief Yukiya Amano visited Iran at the invitation of Salehi. The two sides signed a joint statement at the time to outline a roadmap on bilateral cooperation on certain outstanding issues. Under the deal, Iran agreed, on a voluntary basis, to allow the IAEA inspectors to visit the Arak heavy water plant and the Gachin uranium mine.

The Islamic Republic has already provided the IAEA with the necessary answers to all questions on the issues related to the EBW detonators.

On August 17, Amano paid a visit to Iran and met with high-ranking officials including Salehi.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting with Amano at the time, Salehi said the meeting focused on the issue of detonators among other topics related to Iran's peaceful nuclear program.

“In today’s talks with Mr. Amano, the subject to which more emphasis was given was the issue of detonators. That is a broad issue, and today, our friends (Iranian experts) have provided answers to all relevant questions,” he said at the time.

EBW detonators are seen to have the potential for military applications. Iran insists that allegations of any such utility of that device in the country’s nuclear program are baseless, and has offered to help clear up ambiguities in this regard.