The State Department on Tuesday refused to say that it would block sanctions relief for Iran if that country fails to give international inspectors full details about its prior efforts to build nuclear weapons.
Instead, a State Department spokesman indicated that the P5+1 countries that negotiated the deal might “revisit” the question of what to do in the face of a sub-par report on Iran’s past activities.
The International Atomic Energy Agency is expected to release a report today explaining what it learned about the “possible military dimensions” of Iran’s past nuclear work. Just last week, IAEA chief Yukiua Amano said that so far, the agency is “not in a position” to verify that “all nuclear material in Iran is in peaceful activities.”
And as of this week, there were already reports implying that the IAEA will not be able to verify all past aspects of Iran’s nuclear work. That finding would likely rekindle Republican opposition to the deal, and prompt them to reject the idea of lifting sanctions against Iran as now proposed in the agreement.
But when asked what the U.S. would do if the IAEA report says it has incomplete information on the possible military dimensions of Iran’s nuclear work, or PMDs, State Department spokesman Mark Toner dodged the question.
Instead of answering, he said Iran will “have to answer questions” about PMDs, and indicated State would prefer to answer once the IAEA report is out.
“Let’s let the report speak to that,” Toner said. He then implied that P5+1 countries might decide together how to react.
“The P5+1 will provide a statement, or a resolution, that speaks to closing out this issue,” he said. “Let’s wait for the report to be submitted, and then we’ll speak to contents of the report and what the P5+1 nations committed to do is speak to the contents of the report.”
When pressed further, Toner said that under the deal, Iran “must fully address PMD,” and that this must be done before sanctions relief. But he then suggested that P5+1 countries could “revisit” how to handle a report that falls short of expectations.
“We will revisit when the report comes out,” he said.
Toner also tried to assure reporters broadly that regardless of the IAEA’s findings, the Iran deal is in effect, and would prevent Iran from obtaining or building a nuclear weapon.
“There is now a framework in place under the JCPOA that will prohibit Iran from getting a nuclear weapon,” he said.
