In 2015, Iran, the UN Security Council and the European Union finally reached an agreement
on Iran’s nuclear proliferation.
Western powers decided to lift the sanctions that have devastated Iran’s economy if Iran
makes severe cuts to its nuclear program.
Many have opposed this deal because Iran has repeatedly gone back on its promises to halt
nuclear development.
So we wanted to know, who makes sure Iran will stick to the rules?
Who are the world’s nuclear watchdogs?
Well, in 1957, the International Atomic Energy Agency formed in Vienna to promote the peaceful
use of newly developed atomic energy.
The IAEA is a part of the United Nations, and acts as the de facto nuclear watchdog.
Their primary duty is to enforce the 1968 Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.
Under the treaty most countries aren’t allowed to have nuclear weapons, but these non-nuclear
countries still have a right to use nuclear technology as an energy resource.
This is where inspections come in.
The IAEA doesn’t just investigate countries that threaten to breach the treaty, like Iran.
Every nation which has ratified the treaty is subject to compliance inspections to make
sure that their uranium energy development doesn’t turn into a uranium weapons program.
About 850 people from 95 different countries work in the IAEA’s Department of Safeguards,
and in 2014 the team carried out more than 2,700 in-field inspections.
So, what do these inspectors do?
Essentially, inspectors look for any irregularities in plant reactors that would point to non-compliance.
Fissionable materials like plutonium-239, uranium-233 and certain other forms of enriched
uranium set off major red flags, as they could be used to create a nuclear weapon.
They also inspect facility records and verify statements made about on-site activities.
To put it another way, inspectors are part scientist, part diplomat and part detective.
Sound complicated?
It is.
Inspectors are generally nuclear physicists and engineers who are selected from a large
pool of applicants.
New inspectors go through a two-year training cycle that includes written, oral and on-site
examinations about international law and nuclear equipment.
These inspectors are constantly traveling between countries, and usually spend up to
100 days a year on the road.
Although the Cold War is over, and the threat of nuclear war is considerably diminished,
it is still important to keep track of and regulate the deadliest weapons ever.
Nuclear watchdogs play a huge part in keeping the world all in one piece.
If international political tensions were to escalate further, which countries actually
have the nuclear weapons that could lead to a nuclear war?
Find out in our video.
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