Geneva Interim Agreement Analysis: Two Weeks to Interim Agreement Deadline

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 11, 2014
Contact: Gabriel Pedreira, [email protected]
Phone: (212) 554-3296

Geneva Interim Agreement Analysis: Two Weeks to Interim Agreement Deadline

Iran's Nuclear Progress and Stonewalling Continue

Significant Sanctions Relief and Renewed Economic Growth under JPA

New York, NY - Today, United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) released its updated analysis of the Joint Plan of Action (JPA) interim agreement. With only two weeks remaining before the November 24 deadline of the extended JPA, the Iranian regime continues to steadily develop its nuclear program while stonewalling nuclear inspectors seeking answers on its alleged nuclear weapons work.

The latest report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) underscores Iran's failure to address the possible military dimensions of its nuclear program. Iran has also appeared to violate the terms of the JPA itself by introducing uranium feedstock into an advanced IR-5 centrifuge for the first time. In addition, former deputy chief of the IAEA and UANI Advisory Board Member Olli Heinonen disclosed that Iran may have thousands of more advanced centrifuges than it has declared, which could reduce Iran's breakout time to build a nuclear weapon to only a matter of weeks, if not days.

At the same time, Iran is enjoying significant sanctions relief and economic growth disproportionate to the limited concessions it made under the terms of the JPA. Such relief far exceeds the assurances by Obama administration officials that the sanctions relief package "simply will not move the needle on the Iranian economy." Compounding this, the human rights situation in Iran has deteriorated in a number of critical ways as President Hassan Rouhani approaches the ignoble milestone of 1,000 executions during his tenure.

UANI remains concerned that U.S. leverage has dissipated over the course of the JPA, which may prevent a "good deal" from being clinched with Iran that significantly rolls back its illicit nuclear program.

Iran's Continued Nuclear Progress and Stonewalling of Nuclear Inspectors

• Iran maintains possession of a stockpile of low-enriched uranium that if enriched to weapons-grade, could produce as many as 7 nuclear weapons.
• The interim agreement only reduced Iran's "breakout time" to produce the weapons-grade uranium for a nuclear bomb to about two months.
• There has been almost no progress in resolving the outstanding allegations of Iranian nuclear weapons development as Iran has failed to meet deadlines and adequately answer inquiries in the IAEA probe. Iran has also continued to deny the IAEA access to suspect sites like Parchin.
• By introducing uranium feedstock into an advanced IR-5 centrifuge for the first time, the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) says that Iran may have violated the JPA. Iran has now reportedly halted this activity after the U.S. government "raised the issue."
• Former deputy chief of the IAEA and UANI Advisory Board Member Olli Heinonen says that Iran could have up to 5,000 more advanced IR-2m centrifuges, five times more than the 1,008 IR-2m centrifuges that Iran has declared. If put into operation, such centrifuges would reduce Iran's breakout time to only a matter of weeks, if not days.
• In the latest IAEA report on Iran's nuclear program released on Friday, the agency reported that Iran's low-enriched uranium stockpile had grown by 8% to 8,390 kilograms.
• Also on Friday, the Iranian opposition group which publicly revealed Iran's undeclared nuclear program in 2002 reported that Iran built and is still in the possession of two explosive chambers for conducting nuclear weapons testing. While it has been reportedly known that one chamber had been installed at the Parchin military complex, the location of this new reported chamber is unknown.

Improving Economic Indicators

Human Rights Under Rouhani

Since Rouhani took office, the human rights situation has not improved as some had hoped, but has actually worsened in a number of critical ways as outlined in a new report by the Special Rapporteur on the status of human rights in Iran. For example, the pace of executions has increased to more than two a day in what can only be described as an "execution binge." In fact, Iran carries out the most executions per capita in the world.  

Click here to view UANI's resource on "Rouhani's Record in Office."

###