Asked by: Gary Sambrook (Conservative - Birmingham, Northfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect on the viability of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action of Iran’s refusal to allow inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency to access locations related to nuclear activity.
Answered by James Cleverly
On 25 June, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors adopted a resolution tabled by the E3 in response to Iran's denial of IAEA access to two sites which were under investigation as part of Iran's implementation of its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement and Additional Protocol. In denying access, Iran is not adhering to its legally binding safeguards obligations. The resolution reinforced the mandate of the IAEA Director General to continue his investigation, and sent a clear message to Iran that it should cooperate fully with the IAEA. This investigation is separate to Iran's non-compliance under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA).
The Foreign Secretary made clear in his statement with France and Germany on 19 June that we remain committed to ensuring that Iran never develops a nuclear weapon. Iran's reductions in compliance with the JCPoA raise serious proliferation concerns, which is why the UK, with France and Germany, triggered the JCPoA's Dispute Resolution Mechanism (DRM) on 14 January 2020. We want to use the DRM to resolve these concerns. The UK continues to work closely with all JCPoA parties to find a diplomatic way forward.