Iran is meeting its commitments to scale back its nuclear ambitions under a landmark deal with the six major world powers, according to a new United Nations reports.  A key facility for converting plutonium to a less-enriched form is scheduled to come online next month.

“Iran seems to be fulfilling all its requirements under the agreement,” one Vienna-based diplomat said.  “However, this is a dynamic process and it will be kept under close review each month.”

The International Atomic Energy Agency plays the key role in verifying that Iran is living up to its part of the accord that took effect two months ago.  It issues this monthly update on the six-month deal's implementation to member states.  

This time around, Iran informed the agency that the conversion facility is due to start on 9 April.  It will convert low-enriched uranium gas (LEU) into a form that is unsuitable for weapons, the main concern of western nations that have criticized Iran’s nuclear plans. Iran has always denied it is making weapons and says the materials will only be used for power generation and in high-tech medicine. 

Some believe that Iran has enough LEU to enrich into weapons-grade plutonium, should the current negotiations fail.  But on Thursday, Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told state media that “an understanding is possible that respects the rights of the Iranian nation” is reachable before July.