Iran Meets Fordow Milestone

Under the nuclear deal, Iran was required to remove certain infrastructure and excess centrifuges from the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant by the one-year anniversary of implementation, January 16, 2017. The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, Yukiya Amano, and U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, have both confirmed Iran’s compliance. Their remarks are below.

 

Statement by International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Yukiya Amano on Iran

Iran has removed excess centrifuges and infrastructure from the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant in line with its nuclear-related commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The JCPOA required Iran, within one year from Implementation Day, to complete the removal of all excess centrifuges and infrastructure from the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant and to transfer them to storage at the Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant under continuous Agency monitoring.

The IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano confirms that "on 15 January 2017, the Agency verified that Iran has taken these actions related to Fordow" and that "Iran has carried out these steps within the timeframe stipulated under the JCPOA."

 

Secretary Moniz Statement on Anniversary of JCPOA Implementation Day, IAEA Announcement of Centrifuge Removal from Fordow

WASHINGTON – Today, January 16, 2017, is the one-year anniversary of the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which rolls back the Iranian nuclear program and verifiably prevents Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. To reach Implementation Day last year, Iran had to ship out 25,000 pounds of its enriched uranium, dismantle two-thirds of its centrifuges, render its planned plutonium reactor inoperable, and agree to the most rigorous nuclear verification regime ever negotiated. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) today announced that Iran had removed excess centrifuges and infrastructure from the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, in line with the JCPOA requirements.

In recognition of this anniversary and new milestone, U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz released the following statement:

“On the one year anniversary of implementing the Iran nuclear deal, Iran successfully met the milestone of removing excess centrifuges and infrastructure from Fordow, demonstrating that the deal continues to limit Iran’s nuclear program so as to provide confidence that Iran is not developing a nuclear weapon and maintain at least a one year breakout time.

“The JCPOA is grounded in strong technical analysis provided by DOE scientists, including at our national laboratories, and supported by unprecedented IAEA verification measures. 

“The JCPOA’s verification measures ensure that the Fordow materials and all others covered by the JCPOA will remain under IAEA monitoring.

“One year after Implementation Day, the Iran nuclear deal is working, increasing regional and global security.”