Associated Press: In the Tehran-IAEA Agreement, Sampling at Parchin Will Be Conducted by Iranians

The Associated Press reported on August 19 that it has obtained a draft document indicating that in a confidential agreement between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Tehran has been allowed to use its own experts to inspect the Parchin facility, which is suspected of having conducted nuclear weapon-related tests in the past. Iran has consistently stated that its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes; however, some activities, including those at the Parchin facility, which have been monitored by satellites, have raised suspicions about the military nature of at least part of the nuclear program. Ultimately, after the election of Hassan Rouhani, Iran and six world powers in the so-called 5+1 group reached an agreement that ended a significant portion of sanctions while imposing various restrictions and inspections on Iran's nuclear program. American officials, led by President Barack Obama, have repeatedly emphasized that the agreement with Iran is based not on trust but on continuous verification. As a result, it seems that the 'confidential agreement' mentioned by the Associated Press, of which it claims to have seen a document, may once again draw criticism from opponents of the agreement both inside and outside the United States. Inspections of the Parchin facility, one of the most important sites where the IAEA is seeking answers regarding activities conducted there, are part of the negotiations and nuclear agreement. According to the Associated Press, the agreement regarding Parchin is an annex to the overall agreements between the IAEA and Iran. However, the U.S. and five other countries involved in the agreement and subsequent stages are not direct partners in this agreement. Nevertheless, the verification of Iran's nuclear program is carried out through the IAEA, which informs global powers of its findings. This entire process is part of the nuclear agreement that includes the lifting of sanctions. Every country that is a member of the IAEA must allow the agency to inspect some of its activities and facilities. However, some countries, including Iran, which are suspected of having engaged in activities that may have military objectives at some point, usually face more scrutiny and inspections. Therefore, the existence of a potential confidential agreement between the IAEA and Iran, allowing Tehran to conduct inspections using its own experts, is likely to provoke reactions. Tehran, meanwhile, provides images and videos of the facilities designated by the agency, although it seems there are restrictions regarding military sites in this regard. According to the draft document that the Associated Press claims to have obtained, sampling from the facilities will also be conducted by Iranian inspectors. There is an agreement between Iran and the IAEA, with officials from both sides emphasizing the confidentiality of its details. In early August, Iran's permanent representative to the IAEA rejected the term 'confidential annex of the JCPOA' regarding the agreement between Iran and the agency, warning that the disclosure of the 'confidential' arrangements of this agreement would negatively impact its implementation. Yukiya Amano, the Director General of the IAEA, traveled to Washington in mid-August to answer questions from U.S. congressional representatives, the majority of whom are Republicans opposed to the nuclear agreement. In a statement he released on this matter, Amano said he had faced 'many questions' and added that 'his legal obligations require that safeguards remain confidential, and this is one of the essential elements of the international safeguards regime.' In any case, it is unclear how much the Parchin facility and the potential confidential agreement regarding it will overshadow the entire nuclear agreement. Recently, a research center in Washington stated that satellite images from this facility show new constructions that may have been undertaken to clean up Parchin before 'international inspections.' In response, a spokesperson for the White House downplayed Iran's possible actions, stating that Washington is confident in its information regarding what has occurred at the Parchin site. Iranian officials or the atomic agency have not yet reacted to the report published by the Associated Press.