(Foundation for Defense of Democracies) Olli Heinonen - The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) puts Iran's nuclear program under greater scrutiny than before and reduces the likelihood of an overt dash to the bomb for the next 10 years. But the agreement contains a number of notable weaknesses - particularly regarding undeclared nuclear activity and weapons-related research - that should be mitigated by adopting stronger verification measures. In the agreement, verification mechanisms to detect undeclared activities and sites remain limited; mechanisms to detect barred weaponization research are likely insufficient; and after a decade, the additional transparency measures will fade away - at the same time that Iran is able to start expanding its program - presenting additional verification challenges. The writer served for 27 years at the IAEA as Deputy Director General and head of its Department of Safeguards, where he oversaw its efforts to monitor and contain Iran's nuclear program.
2015-11-19 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive