'Iran Exempted From Nuke Deal Conditions to Meet Deadline'
Iran chief-nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili (Photo: © Reuters)
A report to be published today by the Institute for Science and International Security asserts that a secret agreement was made by the world powers which allowed Iran to “meet” January 16 the deadline” for the nuclear deal even though they were not in compliance with the deal’s conditions.
In an exclusive report by Reuters, the news agency reports that president of the institute, David Albright – himself a former UN weapons inspector and co-author of the report – says that the exemptions given to Iran included allowing Iran to exceed the agreed upon limit on how much low-enriched uranium the Islamic Republic could keep in its nuclear facilities.
The exemption was given to Iran, according to a “knowledgeable” official so that the economic sanctions could be lifted January 16 as planned.
Low-enriched uranium can be enriched into weapons-grade uranium.
The report is based on information that was given to Albright by officials from the Western governments involved in the negotiations. It also notes that the U.S. administration let Congress know about the exemptions in confidential documents given to legislators on January 16, after the exemptions had been granted.
Reuters reports, “A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the joint commission and its role were ‘not secret.’ He did not address the report's assertions of exemptions. Diplomats at the United Nations for the other P5+1 countries did not respond to Reuters' requests for comment on the report.”
Senator Bob Menendez, a leading Democrat who opposed the nuclear deal and who sits on the Foreign Relations Committee, emailed the following statement to Reuters: "I was not aware nor did I receive any briefing (on the exemptions).”
Other exemptions included allowing Iran to continue operation of radiation “hot cells” larger than the limit in the deal. The cells, used for handling radioactive material can be "misused for secret, mostly small-scale plutonium separation efforts," said the report. Plutonium can be used, as well, to make nuclear weapons.
Also exempted is the condition that Iran was supposed to sell its excess stock of heavy water produced at its Arak facility. Instead, the material, which can also be used in nuclear weapons productions, is being stored in Oman under Iranian control, since a buyer for the material was not found.
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