The U.S. Confirms Side Agreements Between Iran and the IAEA

Susan Rice, the U.S. National Security Advisor, confirmed the existence of side agreements between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), while rejecting Republican claims that these agreements are 'secret.' Her statements were reflected on Wednesday, July 31, in the American publication 'The Hill,' which covers news related to the White House and the U.S. Congress. According to the report, Ms. Rice stated in a conversation with reporters that although the side 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. She remarked, 'We are satisfied with these [agreements] and will share their contents with full information in a confidential session with Congress. Therefore, there is nothing regarding this issue that we know, but they are not informed.' Republicans in the U.S. have demanded access to the agreements between Iran and the IAEA and criticized the Obama administration for not making these agreements public. On Thursday, during a question-and-answer session of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee with John Kerry, Ernest Moniz, and Jack Lew, the U.S. Secretaries of State, Energy, and Treasury, the secrecy of these agreements was discussed, and one senator mentioned that according to the agreement between Iran and the IAEA, sampling would be conducted by Iran itself. However, John Kerry clarified that the content of the mentioned agreement would be communicated to representatives and senators behind closed doors. 'The Hill' notes that the discussion about the secrecy of the side agreements could undermine the Obama administration's efforts to counter a congressional resolution aimed at rejecting the nuclear deal, but Ms. Rice dismisses this discussion. She stated that it is not secret that Iran and the IAEA were negotiating to reach an agreement regarding potential military activities. According to Ms. Rice, the current agreements between Iran and the IAEA also include Iran's potential military activities in the past and have essentially been an important topic in negotiations between the parties. The U.S. National Security Advisor ultimately stated that the Obama administration has shared all components of the nuclear agreement with Congress. U.S. senators and representatives have 60 days to review the Vienna nuclear agreement before voting on it. Mr. Obama has warned that if Congress votes against the nuclear agreement, he will veto it.