Rouhani: I Doubt the Agency Will Yield to the U.S.

Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, stated on Tuesday evening during a live television interview regarding the U.S. request to visit Iran's military sites that he doubts the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will agree to this request. In an interview with 'Channel One' of Iranian state television, Rouhani responded to a question about Washington's request for access to Iran's military sites by saying: 'Our commitments to the world are completely clear; our commitments are to the NPT, the safeguards, and the additional protocol that we voluntarily accepted, as well as our commitment to the JCPOA, and we have no other commitments. Our relationship with the Agency is determined by regulations, not by the U.S. and U.S. pressure; I doubt the Agency will yield to the U.S.' He added: 'Even if it does, we will not submit to coercive demands; we will act within the framework of regulations with the Agency.' Nikki Haley, the U.S. representative to the UN, visited Vienna last week and met with Yukiya Amano, the Director General of the Agency. She requested that the Agency visit Iran's military sites for accurate verification of Tehran's nuclear program. Rouhani emphasized that Iran has always had a good relationship with the Agency. The Iranian President stated: 'Our behavior with the Agency has always been good, not just today but since the beginning of the nuclear discussion in 2002 until now; whenever the Agency has reported on Iran, it has always been that Iran has a good relationship with the Agency and has cooperated, and since the JCPOA has been implemented, all reports from the Agency have indicated that Iran has cooperated properly and well within the framework of interactions with them.' Donald Trump, the U.S. President who opposes the nuclear deal between Iran and the six world powers, has called for a review of this agreement and has assigned a team to carry out this task. Nikki Haley had previously stated that Washington wants to ensure that the IAEA has sufficient resources and capabilities to verify Iran's nuclear activities. She expressed concern that IAEA inspectors are not allowed access to Iran's military sites. These statements have provoked anger among Iranian officials, who say that Tehran will not allow 'access to areas prohibited in the JCPOA.' The Iranian President, however, stated on Tuesday: 'We will never be the initiators of violating the JCPOA, and we will not remain idle in the face of others' violations in this matter.' This was Rouhani's first television interview at the beginning of the twelfth government. In response to some criticisms regarding the lack of youth and women in the new cabinet, he said: 'I am very happy that today our society is more sensitive to youth and women.' The failure to introduce a female minister, despite numerous requests including one from 175 members of parliament, has led to criticism from some political and civil activists. He added: 'I am also concerned that we are not witnessing the turnover of elites at the speed that we should be.' The Iranian President further stated: 'I have instructed all ministers of the twelfth government that each minister must employ at least two young people in the position of deputy minister or minister's advisor or assistant, and they must definitely include women in one of these similar positions.' Hassan Rouhani also stated that the two remaining ministers of the twelfth cabinet for the ministries of energy and science will be introduced to the parliament in the first weeks of October.