Iran expects the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to issue a "final" report on Friday confirming it has met all its obligations under its nuclear deal with world powers, an Iranian news agency said on Wednesday.

Under the terms of the agreement, known as the JCPOA, international sanctions against Iran will be lifted once the IAEA, the Vienna-based U.N. nuclear watchdog, confirms Iran has restricted its nuclear program.

"The IAEA will issue its final report on Friday to confirm Iran has met its commitments under the JCPOA," Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi was quoted as saying by the Fars agency.

The IAEA declined to comment on the report.

A report by the U.N. nuclear watchdog saying Iran has kept its promises under the nuclear deal is a crucial precondition for sanctions relief to kick in. The IAEA will, however, continue to regularly report to its member states on Iran.

Under the agreement reached in July last year, Tehran promised to reduce its stockpile of low-enriched uranium to below 300 kg (660 pounds), cut the number of its installed uranium-enriching centrifuges to around 6,100 from 19,000, and decommission the Arak heavy water reactor.

On Tuesday, the spokesman for Iran's atomic energy agency said IAEA inspectors had arrived in Iran to verify the final steps.

"The technical work under way is very demanding, but the Atomic Energy Agency of Iran has been trying to do it as fast as possible," Behrouz Kamalvandi was quoted as saying by the Tasnim news agency.

Araqchi said on Wednesday that Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Federica Mogherini, the European Union's representative for foreign affairs, would issue a joint statement on Saturday or Sunday on the implementation of the deal and the lifting of sanctions.

 

 

By Reuters