A former deputy director of the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency hailed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanayahu’s speech to Congress Tuesday as an “important message” to the world regarding the unknowns surrounding Iran’s nuclear program and the West’s pending deal with Tehran.
Olli Heinonen previously served as head of the Department of Safeguards for the IAEA, the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog.
In a special podcast edition Tuesday of “Aaron Klein Investigative Radio,” Heinonen was asked what he thought of Netanyahu’s address.
“I think it was an important message,” Heinonen replied. “I don’t go through the politics, you know, why he’s speaking there and who is attending. Let’s put that aside. Let’s look at where we are today, and this is a crucial time to decide what kind of nuclear program Iran will have in years to come – what kinds of restraints are put there, what we know about Iran’s nuclear program.”
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Heinonen stated Netanyahu raised a number of “important issues” regarding the hidden nature of both Iran’s nuclear program and the contents of the Western deal being negotiated with Tehran.
“You don’t want to have a so-called blind date here. You need to know actually what will be the commitment here (in the Western deal with Iran). And I think to that end he raised a number of important issues. And to make sure that the agreement which will be negotiated is good enough.”
He added: “You don’t need to do a deal at this second if you are uncomfortable with the terms. I think this is also what he wanted to convey.”
Heinonen told Klein that Netanyahu is rightly concerned with the prospect of Iran keeping some of its nuclear program away from IAEA inspectors.
He said his former agency, the IAEA, “has not been able to do a verification of the completeness of Iran’s declaration."
That means, he said, "we are not sure whether all the nuclear installations in Iran have been declared to the IAEA and whether all the nuclear material has been submitted under IAEA safeguards.”
Heinonen further warned Iran has “shortcomings” in its history of being honest with IAEA.
As noted by Netanyahu during his speech, just Monday, the IAEA’s chief, Yukiya Amano, announced Iran has still not provided key information needed by the U.N. agency to assess Tehran’s nuclear program.
“Iran has yet to provide explanations that enable the agency to clarify two outstanding practical measures,” Amano told the IAEA’s Board of Governors in Vienna, according to Reuters.
Amono said the missing data relates to alleged explosive tests and military nuclear research. He said the missing information was supposed to have been handed over by Iran by last August.
“The agency is not in a position to provide credible assurance about the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran and therefore to conclude that all nuclear material in Iran is in peaceful activities,” Amano was quoted by Reuters as saying.
“Aaron Klein Investigative Radio” is broadcast Sundays on New York’s AM 970 The Answer and Philadelphia’s NewsTalk 990 AM. The radio host, who also is a WND senior reporter, also broadcasts brief podcasts during the week for subscribers.