Deal Struck on U.N. Inspections of Iran Sites

WSJ

Iran agreed Monday to allow the United Nations' nuclear watchdog to conduct additional inspections of its nuclear sites, injecting fresh momentum into efforts to resolve a decadelong standoff.

Iran and six major powers failed over the weekend to clinch a confidence-building agreement that called for Tehran to curb its nuclear activities in exchange for an easing of tight international economic sanctions.

But the deal on Monday between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency will give the U.N. inspectors more regular access to several significant parts of the country's nuclear infrastructure. However, it falls well short of Western demands that Iran open all sensitive sites as part of efforts to prevent the country from eventually producing a nuclear weapon.

"This is an important step forward to start with, but much more needs to be done," Yukiya Amano, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency said at a news conference in Tehran after signing the agreement.

Western diplomats said the agreement was a step in the right direction although one person familiar with the negotiations said the agreement covered only the "easy pickings" for Iran to open up access to its program.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Monday in Abu Dhabi that the diplomats negotiating with Iran over a nuclear deal were united in its terms but the breakdown in negotiations over the weekend was because Iran rebuffed the offer.

Under Monday's agreement, Iran will provide IAEA inspectors regular access to a uranium mine in the country, to a heavy water nuclear plant and to any new research reactors the country builds within the next three months. Inspectors have visited the sites in the past but they don't have routine access to them.

Tehran also pledged to provide timely information on the construction of new nuclear power plants and research reactors that it has said it plans to build.

"This step was taken with the permission of the National Security Council in order to show Iran's good will," said Ali Akbar Salehi, the head the Atomic Energy Organization. "We wanted to show that we are ready and willing to close the false nuclear file."

Two key issues were left out of the agreement. It does not give the IAEA access to a large military site called Parchin, 18 miles south of Tehran, which is suspected of conducting high-explosives testing.

The deal also maintains Iranian restrictions of IAEA inspections at the heavy water reactor in the city of Arak, which will be able to produce plutonium when it begins operating as early as next year. Inspectors will however win regular access to a heavy water production plant that will feed Arak.

Iran insists its nuclear program is purely for civilian purposes despite widespread concerns in Western capitals that Iran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons.

"We are pleased that Iran has agreed to cooperate with the Agency with respect to verification activities to resolve all present and past issues," said a U.K. foreign office spokeswoman. "It is important that Iran addresses the substance of the Agency's concerns over the possible military dimensions to its nuclear program."

Monday's agreement could renew hopes that Iran is prepared to make some key concessions to reach a confidence-building deal in its nuclear talks with the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and Germany, a bloc known as the P5+1 Group.

On Saturday night, three days of top level talks in Geneva ended without a breakthrough despite Mr. Kerry and the French, British, German and Russian foreign ministers flying in to join the negotiations. The talks will continue on Nov. 20 in Geneva at senior official level.