LAUSR

ABSTRACT With the nuclear efforts of North Korea in the news, along with the ups and downs of the Iran agreement, there have been more and more articles in the popular press about nuclear inspections, safeguards, and verification of nuclear weapons agreements. But what are the nuts and bolts behind how one goes about ensuring that a nuclear deal is being adhered to? How do inspectors know if a nuclear program is peaceful or not – especially without unfettered access to every single last part of all the components of the program? Here, the author describes how the International Atomic Energy Agency pulls together the various pieces of the puzzle to achieve a comprehensive picture of a state’s nuclear program and detect any anomalies that might hint of ambitions towards nuclear weaponry.