Iran nuclear deal must be allowed to thrive | Letters

T Douglas Reilly draws on his experience with the International Atomic Energy Agency to praise the Iran nuclear deal, while David Gleeson wonders why Tehran is so often cast as the villain on the world stage

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal) is excellent; it is far better and more extensive than I ever expected (Don't upset the balance of power in the Middle East, 23 June). If followed by all parties, it blocks all avenues for Iran to develop nuclear explosives. To be sure, it is vehemently opposed by Israel's prime minister Netanyahu and Republicans in Congress.

I am a physicist who worked in nuclear safeguards and non-proliferation for 38 years at the Los Alamos national laboratory; the majority of my efforts were for and with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that has the responsibility of inspecting the nuclear facilities of states signatory to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT). Among other things, I developed programmes that have been part of the initial IAEA inspectors' training since 1980. I've trained many of the inspectors who inspect Iran today, and have inspected Iran's facilities since it signed and ratified the NPT shortly after it came into force in 1970.

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