Unpacking the IAEA’s Iran Report

The IAEA just released its latest report on Iran’s nuclear program(available here for download as a .pdf file via ACW), and if the past is anyindication, expect the accompanying spin and analysis to be a bitmisleading.

To unpack the actual report, essentially the IAEAdetermined that Iran had continued running the centrifuges it alreadyhad online and had added some more, and that the efficiency of thecentrifuges already online had improved. The Iranians, meanwhile, onceagain refused to allow the more rigorous and transparent inspectionsmandated by the Additional Protocol, used a loophole to deny inspectorsaccess to a heavy water reactor under construction but not yetoperating (the recent installation of the facility’s roof makes it nowsatellite-proof), and had essentially stonewalled any furtherinvestigation of alleged past weaponization efforts. So the stallinggame the Iranians have been playing for the past three years has indeedwon them more enriched uranium and a higher mastery of the process. . .

Continue reading>>

Unpacking the IAEA’s Iran Report

The IAEA just released its latest report on Iran's nuclear program (available here for download as a .pdf file via Arms Control Wonk), and if the past is any indication, expect the accompanying spin and analysis to be a bit misleading.

According to the actual report, the IAEA essentially determined that Iran has continued running the centrifuges it already has online and has added some more, and that the efficiency of the centrifuges already online has improved. The Iranians, meanwhile, once again refused to allow the more rigorous and transparent inspections mandated by the Additional Protocol, used a loophole to deny inspectors access to a heavy-water reactor under construction but not yet operating (the recent installation of the facility's roof makes it now satellite-proof), and essentially stonewalled any further investigation of alleged past weaponization efforts. So the stalling game the Iranians have been playing for the past three years has indeed won them more enriched uranium and a higher mastery of the process.

Press accounts from the New York Times and the Washington Post have focused on three elements, with varying degrees of emphasis. First, because the IAEA only actually measures the amount of enriched uranium once a year, relying for the rest of the year on estimates (kind of like how the utility company manages the electric bill), this latest report indicates Iran has about one-third more low enriched uranium (LEU) than previously believed.

Keep reading for free!

Get instant access to the rest of this article by submitting your email address below. You'll also get access to three articles of your choice each month and our free newsletter:

Or, Subscribe now to get full access.

Already a subscriber? Log in here .

What you’ll get with an All-Access subscription to World Politics Review:

A WPR subscription is like no other resource — it’s like having a personal curator and expert analyst of global affairs news. Subscribe now, and you’ll get:

  • Immediate and instant access to the full searchable library of tens of thousands of articles.
  • Daily articles with original analysis, written by leading topic experts, delivered to you every weekday.
  • Regular in-depth articles with deep dives into important issues and countries.
  • The Daily Review email, with our take on the day’s most important news, the latest WPR analysis, what’s on our radar, and more.
  • The Weekly Review email, with quick summaries of the week’s most important coverage, and what’s to come.
  • Completely ad-free reading.

And all of this is available to you when you subscribe today.