US open to Iran civilian nuclear programme

Washington, June 13 (IANS) The Trump administration said Friday it is prepared to accept a civilian nuclear energy programme in Iran as part of a broader nuclear agreement, provided Tehran dismantles the infrastructure that could enable it to build a nuclear weapon.

The clarification came as a senior administration official outlined details of a proposed US-Iran nuclear agreement that officials said could be signed within days.

The official drew a clear distinction between civilian nuclear power generation and nuclear weapons capability, arguing that Washington’s objective is not to eliminate Iran’s nuclear energy sector but to prevent Tehran from retaining the capacity to produce a bomb.

“We’re not bothered at all by the idea of civilian power plants in Iran,” the official said.

Instead, the concern is with “the type of infrastructure that would allow them to jump from civilian power generation to nuclear weapons development”, the official said.

The remarks offer one of the clearest indications yet of how the administration intends to approach Iran’s nuclear future if a deal is reached.

According to the official, the proposed agreement would require Iran to remove highly enriched nuclear material, dismantle elements of its nuclear weapons programme and accept inspections designed to verify long-term compliance.

At the same time, the administration appears willing to allow Iran to continue generating electricity through civilian nuclear facilities under strict monitoring.

The official pointed to other countries in the region that operate civilian nuclear programmes without possessing the infrastructure needed for weapons development.

“The Emiratis have a civilian nuclear power programme,” the official said. “They generate a lot of electricity through nuclear power, but they don’t have the kind of infrastructure that would allow them to build a nuclear bomb.”

That model, the administration suggested, could provide a framework for Iran if it fulfils its obligations under the proposed agreement.

The official said one of the central objectives of the negotiations has been securing a commitment from Iran to permanently abandon efforts to acquire a nuclear weapon.

“They are committing indefinitely to never procure or develop nuclear weapons,” the official said.

The administration also says Iran has agreed in principle to destroy and remove enriched nuclear material from the country, though implementation details would be worked out during a technical negotiation period expected to last about 60 days after the agreement is signed.

“The technical details need to be figured out,” the official said, describing the material involved as “very combustible” and “very volatile”.

The official repeatedly stressed that the agreement would rely on inspections and verification rather than trust.

“We’re happy with the commitment to not build a nuclear weapon. We have to verify that,” the official said.

Under the proposed framework, Tehran would not receive immediate sanctions relief or economic rewards simply for signing the agreement.

Instead, economic benefits would be phased in as Iran demonstrates compliance with specific obligations, including the dismantling of nuclear infrastructure and adherence to inspection requirements.

“The more that the Iranians perform, the more that they get,” the official said.

Administration officials argued that the approach would allow Washington to test Iranian compliance while preventing a repeat of past disputes over enforcement.

The briefing also underscored continuing scepticism within the administration about Tehran’s intentions.

“I don’t think the Iranians trust us, and I don’t think the United States trusts the Iranians,” the official said.

Nevertheless, officials expressed confidence that the agreement could create a framework capable of reducing tensions while ensuring that Iran remains permanently unable to produce a nuclear weapon.

–IANS

lkj/ksk/dan