VIENNA // Iran is endangering support for a landmark deal with major powers by twice overstepping a “soft” limit on sensitive material, the UN nuclear watchdog has warned.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in a report last week that Iran had slightly exceeded the 130-tonne limit on its stock of heavy water for a second time since the nuclear deal was put in place in January.
The six other countries that signed the deal, including the United States, have been muted in their criticism. But there are questions about how US president-elect Donald Trump, who has strongly criticised the deal and has said he will “police that contract so tough they [the Iranians] don’t have a chance”, would handle any similar case once he takes office.
The IAEA chief, Yukiya Amano, told the agency’s board of governors on Thursday that it was “important that such situations should be avoided in future in order to maintain international confidence” in the implementation of the agreement.
Last week’s report said Mr Amano had expressed concerns to Iran over its stock of heavy water, a material used as a moderator in reactors such as Iran’s unfinished one at Arak, which had its core removed and made unusable under the deal.
The international agreement places restrictions on Iran’s atomic activities, monitored by the IAEA, in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions.
Rather than setting a strict limit on heavy water as it does for enriched uranium, the deal estimates Iran’s needs to be 130 tonnes and says any amount beyond its needs “will be made available for export to the international market”.“
Mr Amano said Iran had “made preparations to transfer a quantity of heavy water out of the country” .
“Once it has been transferred, Iran’s stock of heavy water will be below 130 metric tonnes.”
* Reuters
