Iran's Representative Warns Against Disclosure of Secret Agreement with IAEA

Iran's permanent representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) rejected the term "secret annex to the JCPOA" regarding the agreement between Iran and the IAEA, warning that the disclosure of the "secret" arrangements of this agreement would negatively impact its implementation. According to the IRNA news agency, Reza Najafi told reporters: "The agreement between Iran and the IAEA is not part of the JCPOA but contains technical issues, and its confidentiality is not a new point in the relations between the IAEA and other countries." Iran and six world powers reached an agreement on Tehran's nuclear program on July 14, after more than a decade of negotiations. Under this agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran limits its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of a significant portion of international sanctions. Reza Najafi stated that the separate agreement between Iran and the IAEA refers to two separate arrangements that are completely confidential. He added: "Having such confidential arrangements between a member state and the IAEA is not new, and many member countries have signed similar arrangements with the IAEA, such as subsidiary arrangements of safeguards agreements or safeguards approaches for specific nuclear facilities that are confidential and have not been shown to any other member country. For example, the safeguards approach for the Arak heavy water reactor or the safeguards approach for the Natanz facility is confidential and no member country has access to it." Mr. Najafi emphasized: "As it is clear, these technical arrangements are between Iran and the IAEA and are not part of the JCPOA finalized between Iran and the P5+1. Therefore, calling them 'secret annex to the JCPOA' is incorrect." The permanent representative of Iran to the IAEA stressed: "The disclosure of these confidential arrangements by any party will severely negatively impact their implementation, and therefore the IAEA must ensure that the provisions of these arrangements remain confidential, like other confidential arrangements with member countries." Reza Najafi's warning about the disclosure of details of the agreement between Iran and the IAEA comes after Susan Rice, the National Security Advisor at the White House, stated that although the subsidiary agreements between Iran and the IAEA are not public, the Obama administration has informed Congress of their contents and will provide details confidentially to members of Congress. U.S. Republicans have demanded access to the agreements between Iran and the IAEA and criticized the Obama administration for not disclosing these agreements. On Thursday, during a Q&A session of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee with John Kerry, Ernest Moniz, and Jack Lew, the Secretaries of State, Energy, and Treasury, the confidentiality of these agreements was discussed, and one senator mentioned that according to the agreement between Iran and the IAEA, sampling will be conducted by Iran itself. However, John Kerry clarified that the content of the mentioned agreement will be communicated to representatives and senators behind closed doors. On the other hand, several conservative figures and representatives close to the Stability Front in the parliament have requested the Iranian Foreign Ministry to explain the existence of "confidential" clauses in the comprehensive nuclear agreement. According to Fars News Agency, Mojtaba Rahmandoust, a conservative representative, stated: "The government does not have the authority to make a secret agreement with the West regarding the nuclear issue." Eisa Darayi, another conservative representative, also said: "Backdoor agreements on the nuclear issue are unacceptable." He added: "Why should we hear about 'confidential clauses' from U.S. congressional representatives?" According to Fars, Parviz Sorouri, the deputy of the Islamic Revolution's Path Society, also emphasized: "Clarification from the diplomatic apparatus regarding the confidential clauses of the Vienna agreement is essential." Meanwhile, the U.S. Secretary of Energy emphasized yesterday that if the Islamic Republic does not respond to the IAEA's questions by October, there will be no agreement. The U.S. Treasury Secretary also stated that as long as Iran does not provide the necessary access to the IAEA and does not answer the agency's questions, neither U.S. sanctions nor international sanctions will be lifted.