Iran will be able to use its own inspectors to investigate a nuclear site suspected of weapons development. The Associated Press acquired a secret arrangement between the U.N.’s International Atomic Energy Agency and Iran. The IAEA is the oversight agency charged with such investigations, but Iran has been granted the privilege of conducting the investigation of the long-suspected Parchin nuclear site.
News of the side deal upset many in Washington already highly concerned over the agreement to curtail Iran’s nuclear development and the president’s determination to bypass Congress’ evaluation of it.
“Trusting Iran to inspect its own nuclear site and report to the U.N. in an open and transparent way is remarkably naïve and incredibly reckless,” said John Cornyn, second-ranking Republican senator from Texas. “This revelation only reinforces the deep-seated concerns the American people have about the agreement” (AP).
According to the AP, the leaked document is labeled “separate arrangement II,” revealing the existence of another secret agreement between the IAEA and Iran.
House Speaker John Boehner commented, “President Obama boasts his deal includes ‘unprecedented verification.’ He claims it’s not built on trust. But the administration’s briefings on these side deals have been totally insufficient – and it still isn’t clear whether anyone at the White House has seen the final documents” (AP).
The AP reports that former IAEA Director General Olli Heinonen “said he could think of no similar concession with any other country” (AP).
The White House professed its confidence in the IAEA despite this week’s disclosures, and the AP noted that “House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi shrugged off the revelation, saying ‘I truly believe in this agreement’” (AP).
Israel’s Foreign Ministry Director-General Dore Gold compared the secret arrangement to “allowing the criminal present the evidence” (Jerusalem Post). Regarding how the new information might influence Congress, Gold ventured only to say the information “speaks for itself” (JPost). Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is openly critical about the Iran nuclear deal, has yet to comment on the secretive arrangement and is apparently – for the time being at least – letting the information speak for itself as well.
This week’s revelation further riles an already agitated Congress. Congress is set to vote its approval or disapproval of the initial nuclear agreement in early September. By a law signed by President Obama, Congress has 60 days to review and vote on the nuclear agreement. However, within days of the U.N.’s acceptance of the negotiated agreement, President Obama gave his approval of it as well, speaking independently from a yet to be achieved congressional consensus.
If Congress votes to disapprove the nuclear agreement, President Obama has vowed to veto their will. Congress would then need a two-thirds vote to override the veto, something they have admitted would be hard to achieve. However, that was before news of the secret deals broke.
The recently achieved nuclear agreement pertains primarily to Iran’s nuclear program over the next ten and fifteen years. However, the arrangement also “obligates Tehran to cooperate with the IAEA in its probe of the past allegations” (AP). Investigation of the Parchin facility has been blocked for years while Iran claimed false information led to the request for inspection.
This newly revealed, “longer leash” granted to Iran is deeply concerning, particularly for Israel, who sits in the bullseye of Iran’s military goals. Please continue to pray for Israel’s safety, protection, and wisdom. Even more importantly, pray for a hunger in each heart for the eternal peace of the Messiah and openness to receive Yeshua.
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