U.N.’s IAEA denies use of its inspectors by Iran

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 (UPI) — The United Nations’ International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is denying claims that it will allow Iran to use its own inspectors to report on one of its nuclear sites.

The director general of the IAEA, Yukiya Amano, said Thursday that he was dismayed by the claims and that they misrepresent the methods to be used by the agency to “undertake this important verification work.”

The claims were made Wednesday, when it was reported that Iran would use the IAEA experts to investigate the Iranian military complex at Parchin. However, the IAEA has been seeking access to the site for almost 10 years.

Amano said the claims are inaccurate. The IAEA, however, did not specifically reject claims that Iran would be able to take soil samples at Parchin using its own agents and later send them off to the IAEA for “technical authenticity.”

Essentially, the original report claimed that Iran would conduct an investigation unto itself with the IAEA agents. The agreement was considered atypical by experts.

The United States believes that Iran could develop a nuclear weapon anytime within three months. The multilateral nuclear deal reached with Iran in Vienna on July 14, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) aims to extend that to one year for the next decade.