IAEA chief denies Iran’s self-inspection claims

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Yukiya Amano has denied media reports claiming the agency will allow Iran to carry out its own nuclear inspections as part of the nuclear agreement reached last month in Vienna.

“Such statements misrepresent the way in which we will undertake this important verification work,” Amano said.

The statement follows claims by the Associated Press (AP) on Wednesday that the draft version of a side agreement indicates that Iran could use its own inspectors to investigate the Parchin military base south of Tehran.

“I am disturbed by statements suggesting that the IAEA has given responsibility for nuclear inspections to Iran. Such statements misrepresent the way in which we will undertake this important verification work,” he added.

Despite limits on what he can reveal about the agreement, Amano stressed that “the arrangements are technically sound and consistent with our long-established practices. They do not compromise our safety standards in any way.”

Iran and the world powers reached on an agreement on Tehran’s nuclear programme on 14 July after more than ten years of intermittent negotiations.

The agreement gives UN inspectors the right to monitor and inspect some Iranian military installations, and imposes a ban on arms imports for five years in return for lifting of economic and trade sanctions imposed on Tehran.