Reuters: Agency Does Not Consider Inspections of Iran's Military Sites Necessary

Reuters reported that the U.S. government is pressuring the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to inspect Iran's military sites as part of its investigation into violations of the nuclear agreement with the international community. However, according to agency officials, such inspections must first be deemed necessary, and currently, there is no urgency for this action. Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the UN, visited the IAEA headquarters in Vienna last week as part of a review and potential reassessment of the 2015 nuclear agreement by the U.S. government. Donald Trump has repeatedly described the global powers' nuclear deal with Iran as 'the worst deal ever.' After discussions with agency officials, Haley stated, 'There are several unregistered sites that have not been inspected, and this is a problem.' The Iranian government has dismissed Haley's requests as 'wishful thinking.' Senior agency officials and signatories of the nuclear agreement have stated that the IAEA has the right to inspect any military sites in Iran if there is evidence of prohibited nuclear activities. However, they claim that the U.S. government has not provided the necessary evidence to support its request for inspections of Iran's military sites. An agency official said, 'We are not willing to inspect a military site like Parchin just to send a political message.' Yukiya Amano, the IAEA Director General, has repeatedly emphasized that the agency is a technical body, not a political one, and thus its activities are based solely on facts and evidence. According to the nuclear agreement between Iran and the global powers, the IAEA has the right to inspect all declared nuclear sites in Iran if there are suspicions of violations of the treaty's technical provisions and the existence of illegal materials and equipment. From the agency's and member countries' perspective, this duty means that inspections will only occur if there is documented information confirming suspicions of Iran's violations. According to Reuters, another agency official, who requested anonymity, said, 'We must be able to review and verify such information and evidence.' In her recent statements, Haley did not refer to any specific military facility in Iran nor did she provide new intelligence evidence. Agency officials who met with her and a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department confirmed this. Under U.S. congressional mandates, the State Department must report every 90 days on Iran's compliance with the nuclear agreement. The next report is due in October. Trump has indicated that the U.S. government is expected to announce at that time that Iran is not complying with its commitments. This stance contradicts the position of the other five global powers that signed the nuclear agreement with Iran. According to the 2015 nuclear agreement, if Iran resists the IAEA's request for inspections of its facilities, the issue will first be referred to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) Implementation Committee, which includes eight members: Iran, the U.S., France, the UK, Germany, Russia, China, and the European Union. Any decision-making in this committee requires five votes, and if necessary, the U.S. and its allies can impose a single decision on the committee. According to the nuclear agreement's provisions, such a decision typically involves exploring new ways to address the agency's suspicions, and Iran must accept implementing necessary measures to alleviate these suspicions. So far, no instance has arisen that has referred to this aspect of the committee's duties and powers. Iran has repeatedly emphasized that despite Donald Trump's hostile rhetoric, it has adhered to all its commitments under the nuclear treaty, but it also insists that it will not accept inspections of its military sites.