Roundup: Iran hails IAEA resolution to close nuclear probe

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday hailed as "great success for Iranians" a recent resolution adopted by the UN nuclear agency to conclude probes into alleged military dimensions of Iran's nuclear activities.

Talking live on Iran's state TV, Rouhani said the resolution, by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), was "not only a legal and technical success... but a political and ethical success" since it proved to the world that Iran had not been after the nuclear arms in its nuclear program over the past years.

Board members of the IAEA on Tuesday adopted a resolution to close the investigation into Tehran's alleged nuclear activities after 12 years.

Upon the receipt of the board members of the IAEA report which verified Iran's implementation of its relevant commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the probe into Tehran's past suspected nuclear activities would be finished, according to the resolution.

Rouhani said the latest success is also the result of "resistance and patience" of the Iranians over the issue and of the negotiations with the P5+1 group, namely, Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States, and Germany, as well as the interaction with the wider world.

With the IAEA resolution, one of the major barriers for the implementation of the JCPOA, reached on July 14 in the Austrian capital of Vienna, was removed, he said.

"The ground is almost ready for implementing the JCPOA," Rouhani said.

Over the past months, both Iran and the powers have taken big steps to make the JCPOA practical, and the remaining measures will hopefully be completed by both sides in the coming weeks, he said.

Iran expects the international and Western sanctions against the country to be lifted in January, Rouhani said. "We should prepare ourselves for economic growth."

IAEA and Tehran signed a road-map in July to clarify the issues pertaining to the so-called possible military dimensions (PMD) of Iran's nuclear program in accordance with the historic Iranian nuclear deal.

Under the nuclear deal signed on July 14 by Iran and the P5+1 group, Tehran should significantly scale back its atomic plan to address Western countries' concerns over the alleged nuclear weapons program, while the IAEA was asked to monitor the process.

Also, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif welcomed the IAEA resolution, saying that Iran is ready to implement the JCPOA.

Based on the resolution, the fabricated subject of the PMD of Iran's nuclear program is closed and filed as a history, Zarif said.

According to the resolution, the non-diversion of Iran's nuclear program to weapon-grade activities is, once more, confirmed and its "peaceful nature" is emphasized, he said.

With the move made by the board of the IAEA, the issues regarding the nuclear activities of Iran in the past are closed and the UN nuclear watchdog will open a new chapter with the implementation of the JCPOA on its agenda, he added.

"The Islamic republic re-emphasizes its commitments to the Non-Proliferation Treaty's (NPT) conventions," Zarif said on Tuesday, adding that "Iran announces its readiness to fully implement its obligations vis-a-vis the JCPOA, provided that the P5+1 group also remains bound to its commitments."

On Tuesday, senior Iranian nuclear negotiator Abbas Araqchi also said that following the IAEA resolution, the removal of international and Western sanctions against Iran will begin in early January 2016, according to official IRNA news agency.

China on Wednesday welcomed the resolution adopted by the IAEA to close the investigation into Iran's alleged nuclear activities, saying it may help implementation of a historic nuclear deal signed in July.

China appreciates the efforts of the IAEA and Iran in solving the issue, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei said at a regular press briefing.

Hong said preparations to implement the agreement are progressing well, adding that the P5+1 and Iran had demonstrated their support for the deal with concrete actions.

China hopes to work with other parties to advance preparations for early implementation of the JCPOA, said the spokesperson. Enditem