The United States State Department’s Bureau of Arms control, Verification and Compliance, in its 2020 report published on Tuesday, while referring to the Iranian regime’s violations of the nuclear Non–Proliferation Treaty (NPT), underlined the significant role of the Iranian Resistance in revealing the regime’s nuclear ambitions and activities.
The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) revealed the information about the regime’s nuclear activities to obtain nuclear weapons in 2002. This information was obtained by the network of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK).
“In 2002, an Iranian opposition group publicly revealed covert nuclear facilities under construction at Natanz and Arak that Iran had failed to declare to the IAEA. Reports from the resulting IAEA investigation led the IAEA Board of Governors (BOG) to declare Iran in noncompliance with its CSA in 2005 and to report the case to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in 2006. In 2009, Iran announced another previously undeclared uranium enrichment facility under construction near the city of Qom, Iran, after the United States, the UK, and France publicly disclosed the facility’s existence. From 2006 to 2011, the Security Council adopted multiple resolutions on Iran, five of which imposed binding obligations under Chapter VII of the UN Charter,” read the State Department report.
The Iranian Resistance’s revelation of the Natanz uranium enrichment site and Arak Heavy Water facility in August 2002, and subsequent revelations, unveiled the extent to which the regime’s clandestine nuclear weapons work had advanced. This led to inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and ensuing measures by the United Nations Security Council. Indeed, were it not for the Iranian Resistance’s revelation the mullahs would have had the bomb by now and the fate of the Middle East and the world would not be the same.
“Iran’s efforts to retain files, documents, and personnel related to its pre-2004 nuclear weapons program – as revealed in the atomic archive acquired by Israel in 2018 – suggest that Iran may have maintained this information at least in part to preserve technical expertise relevant to a nuclear weapons capability, and potentially to aid in any future effort to pursue nuclear weapons again, if a decision were made to do so,” the State Department report added.
While referring to the regime’s continuous breach of its commitment under the terms of its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the report reads: “As of November 8 Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile had grown to 372.3 kg U, comprising 212.6 kg U enriched up to 3.67 percent that had been produced prior to July 8 and 159.7 kg U enriched up to 4.5 percent that had been produced after July 8. In early September, Iran announced that its next step to scale back implementation of its JCPOA commitments would involve lifting all limits on its development of more advanced centrifuges for uranium enrichment.”
The report reiterated: “The United States has made clear that Iran must comply fully with its nuclear safeguards obligations, without any further delay, denial, or deception by Iran that inhibits the IAEA’s essential nuclear safeguards verification work.”
“The United States remains committed to denying Iran all pathways to a nuclear weapon. The United States has underscored that Iran’s actions to expand its uranium enrichment program are unacceptable and have highlighted the continued challenge Iran poses to international peace and security. The United States will continue to encourage the international community to provide its full support to the IAEA, as it continues to fulfill its critical mandate to verify the non-diversion of nuclear energy to nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices. The United States has made clear that Iran must cooperate fully and promptly with the IAEA on all such issues.”