The global nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, has ended its 12-year investigation into concerns that Iran might be developing nuclear weapons. The move is seen as a key step towards lifting UN, EU and US sanctions. The IAEA concluded that Iran conducted nuclear weapons-related research until 2003 and to a lesser extent until 2009, but found no evidence of this since. Iran had warned that unless this happened, it would not implement key parts of July’s accord with six major powers to scale down its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

After stalling for many years, Iran agreed in July to cooperate with the IAEA to address the claims, which it has always rejected, allowing inspectors to visit sites and providing additional information. As a result the IAEA on Dec. 2 released a “final assessment” — even though it did not receive all the information it sought — concluding that some of the allegations were indeed accurate.

The International Powers stress that Iran will remain under close IAEA scrutiny to ensure that it does not contravene the July deal or again secretly engage in more research to develop an atomic bomb.

Points to Note

• Under the deal Iran has pledged to slash the number of centrifuges — which “enrich” uranium for peaceful uses but also for a bomb — from around 19,000 to 6,104, of which 5,060 will still enrich.
• Iran also has to change the design of a new nuclear reactor being built at Arak so that it produces substantially less plutonium, the alternative to uranium in a nuclear weapon.
• Iran must reduce its stock of low-enriched uranium from several tons to just 660 pounds. Iran is expected to ship this material to Russia.