U.S. Defense Secretary: No Outlook for Change in Iran's Behavior After Agreement

A question-and-answer session with U.S. Secretaries of State, Defense, Treasury, and Energy regarding the nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers was held on Wednesday afternoon. The U.S. Secretary of Defense stated that there is no outlook for a change in Iran's behavior following the nuclear agreement. John McCain, the Republican chairman of the Armed Services Committee, criticized the agreement, claiming it paves the way for Iran to acquire nuclear weapons and provides billions of dollars for illegal arms purchases from international markets. According to him, Iran will be able to purchase fighter jets, attack helicopters, and military vessels after five years. In the eighth year, Iran could obtain materials necessary for building advanced ballistic missiles. McCain stated that the amount released due to the lifting of sanctions on Iran is $60 billion, which he claims will be used to send weapons to Iranian-backed terrorist groups, create crises, and cause insecurity. Ashton Carter, the Secretary of Defense, defended the Iran agreement, stating that the U.S. military will enhance its capabilities to ensure that all options are available to prevent Iran from deviating from its commitments under the agreement. He remarked, 'We will act with all our might, stand by our friends, and take action against the malign activities of the Islamic State and the Iranian government.' In response to a question about 'changing Iran's behavior,' Carter noted that Iran's behavior has not changed since the nuclear agreement was reached, and he sees 'no outlook' for this behavior to change in the future. He emphasized the importance of the agreement being verifiable and stated that it is crucial for Iran not to have access to nuclear weapons. He concluded that a successful implementation of the agreement with Iran is better than military action, as any attack would be temporary and could potentially lead Iran to a point where it could access nuclear weapons. General Dempsey also mentioned that the implementation of the nuclear agreement actually strengthens military options because enhanced inspections and access to Iranian sites will provide the U.S. with more information about its nuclear facilities that 'we may need to attack.' John Kerry, the Secretary of State, attempted to alleviate Republican senators' concerns regarding the nuclear agreement and urged them to vote in favor of it. Senators on the committee demanded access to the agreement between Iran and the IAEA, which was recently signed. Kerry stated that 'there has been no side or secret agreement between Iran and the IAEA. There are only technical documents that are conventional and have not been publicly released.' He added, 'We are aware of the foundations of this agreement. This is a conventional process for the 189 member countries that have agreements with the IAEA. We do not have access to it. These documents have not been made public, but we have obtained information about them.' A significant portion of Senator Tom Cotton's questions from Arizona was dedicated to the agreement between Iran and the IAEA, emphasizing why American lawmakers should not have access to it. Both John Kerry and Ernest Moniz confirmed that they had not read the text of this agreement and had only obtained information about it. Senator Cotton then stated that Wendy Sherman, the Deputy Secretary of State, had access to this agreement. Kerry responded, 'I do not know if Ms. Sherman has read the summary of this agreement or the text; I am not aware. But I know she is scheduled to brief the Senate confidentially soon regarding this agreement.' Cotton then raised the question of why Iran is allowed to sample from the Parchin site and present it to the IAEA under this agreement. The Secretary of State replied that he could not confirm or deny whether such a clause exists in the mentioned agreement... but I can confirm that Moniz has made recommendations in his discussions with the IAEA and their team, and I think this process will provide us with the answers we are seeking.' Cotton then asked, 'Why can we not publicly confirm or deny the content of this agreement? Why is this agreement secret while it is not a sensitive U.S. government document?' Kerry responded, 'Because we respect the IAEA's working process, and we do not have their permission to disclose the content of a secret agreement made between them and another country.' Cotton continued, 'Well, the Ayatollahs know what they agreed to, but the American people do not?' The Secretary of State clarified, 'No, exactly, because we are supposed to provide you with what we have obtained from the content of this agreement confidentially. But they (the Iranians) have signed this agreement with the IAEA. Senator, as you and I know, the IAEA is an independent body under the UN.' Republican Senator Ted Poe from Texas also addressed Kerry, stating that Susan Rice (National Security Advisor) said she has seen the agreement (with Iran) and wants to inform Congress about it. If she has seen this agreement, then you must have seen it too. The Secretary of State replied, 'I do not think Susan Rice has seen the text of the agreement.' Poe reacted, 'Ms. Rice herself said six days ago that she has seen the text of the agreement. She said six days ago that she has seen the text of the agreement and that Congress will be informed about it confidentially. My question is: Have you seen it?' Kerry said, 'I have not seen this agreement; I have only been briefed on its summary.' Senator Poe stated, 'So you have not read it or seen it.' The Secretary of State replied, 'No, because this agreement is with the IAEA.' Poe asked, 'Are you looking to read this agreement?' Kerry responded, 'We do not have access to the original agreement.' According to the 'roadmap' signed on July 14, just hours before the official announcement of the comprehensive nuclear agreement between Iran and the P5+1, the two sides reached a 'separate agreement' regarding inspections of the Parchin military site. Under this roadmap, Iran and the IAEA agreed to resolve all 'major past and present issues' that have remained unresolved by the end of 2015. John Kerry, Jack Lew, and Ernest Moniz had appeared last week before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and on August 6 before the House Foreign Relations Committee, answering their sharp questions. Iran and the P5+1 group reached a comprehensive and final agreement on July 14 after two years of negotiations in various cities around the world, under which Tehran will limit many of its nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting or reduction of UN, U.S., and EU sanctions against it. The Obama administration has sent this agreement to the U.S. Congress, which consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate, and its members have 60 days to review and either reject or approve the agreement. Various congressional committees have held two question-and-answer sessions with U.S. Secretaries of State, Energy, and Treasury regarding this agreement, and the session on Wednesday, August 7, is the third meeting in this regard, attended by the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Many Republicans, who hold the majority in Congress, have stated that they will reject this agreement because it does not ensure Israel's security, and Iran will once again be able to pursue its ambitious nuclear program with the intent of acquiring nuclear weapons after a few years, and the assets released as a result of this agreement will be spent on paying organizations such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the government of Bashar al-Assad in Syria. The Obama administration has rejected these claims, stating that it will veto the agreement if it is rejected.