Obama Caves on Iran’s Past Violations, Despite Earlier Promises

The Obama administration has caved on demands that Iran disclose the details of its past nuclear work, without which verification of its compliance with a future deal is impossible.

Bradley Klapper of the AP reported late Thursday: “World powers are prepared to accept a nuclear agreement with Iran that doesn’t immediately answer questions about past atomic weapons work, U.S. and Western officials said. Washington has said such concerns must be resolved in any final deal.”

Reports had emerged over the past few months that Obama might drop demands for Iran’s past disclosures, and were denied by the administration. In April, similar concerns arose after President Barack Obama had hailed an interim “framework” agreement with Iran. Secretary of State John Kerry appeared on PBS’ Newshour to promise that Iran would have to disclose past nuclear activities: “They have to do it. It will be done. If there’s going to be a deal; it will be done.”

The Iranian regime is resisting inspections into its known nuclear facilities, and refuses to allow any access to military sites that are suspected of developing possible military dimensions (PMDs) of a nuclear program.

While admitting that any deal is useless without credible verification procedures, the Obama administration continues to concede to Iran’s demands in order to preserve the prospect of some kind of deal, which it hopes to use to rehabilitate Iran as a potential regional power.