October 18, 2015
"Adoption Day marks an important milestone in ensuring that Iran’s nuclear program is exclusively peaceful in nature. Today, as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) comes into effect, Iran will begin taking substantial and verifiable steps to roll back its nuclear program and place it under a stringent verification and monitoring regime.
Under the JCPOA, one step that Iran must take is to redesign its Arak Heavy Water Research reactor, including removing its existing calandria and rendering it inoperable. To support this effort, the Department of Energy’s nuclear experts will lead the U.S. effort to work with our P5+1 partners and Iran to modernize the Arak reactor, effectively eliminating a potential source of weapons-grade material. The Statement of Intent released today between the United States, China, and Iran identifies the United States Department of Energy (DOE) and the People’s Republic of China’s China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA) as the co-chairs of the P5+1 and EU working group, which will meet for initial discussions in the coming weeks.
In addition to co-chairing the Arak Modernization Working Group, the Department of Energy’s technical experts will also continue to support President Obama, Secretary Kerry, our P5+1 and EU partners, and the IAEA through technical advice and expert consultations on nuclear matters. As we move toward Implementation Day, the next milestone within the JCPOA, the Department’s deep expertise in the nuclear fuel cycle, nuclear safeguards and security, and nuclear materials will be called upon to help ensure that Iran is meeting its key nuclear commitments under the JCPOA.
The JCPOA is based on hard science and unprecedented verification in order to assure the international community that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon and that its nuclear program is exclusively peaceful."
Also today, President Obama issued a Presidential Memorandum to prepare for the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and released a statement on Adoption Day.