International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Yukiya Amano on Thursday denied media reports that the U.N. agency will allow Tehran to carry out its own nuclear inspections as part of recently signed Iran nuclear deal.
"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," the IAEA chief said in a statement.
An Associated Press exclusive report claimed on Wednesday that the IAEA and Iran had a secret deal, allowing Tehran to do self-inspection of the Parchin military site.
"The document is labeled 'separate arrangement II,' indicating there is another confidential agreement between Iran and the IAEA governing the agency's probe of the nuclear weapons allegations. Iran is to provide agency experts with photos and videos of locations the IAEA says are linked to the alleged weapons work, "taking into account military concerns," the report read.
Amano further stated that the road map agreed upon between IAEA and Iran is confidential and cannot be made public based on legal obligations.
"However, I can state that the arrangements are technically sound and consistent with our long-established practices. They do not compromise our safeguards standards in any way," he said.
Reza Najafi, Iranian ambassador to the IAEA, said that the U.N. agency is committed to not disclosing secret parts of the deal.
"Some parts of the roadmap are confidential and neither Iran nor the agency can reveal this content. The IAEA is specially committed to keep confidential the content of the arrangements (with Iran)," Najafi said, according to Tasnim News Agency.
Iran and the P5+1, which includes the U.S., China, Russia, France, U.K. and Germany, signed an agreement on July 14 that would lift international sanctions on Iran in return for curbs on its nuclear program.
