As agreed upon under the terms of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Iran will negotiate two separate safeguards agreements concerning the inspection of the Parchin military facility and possible past military dimensions of its nuclear program. Both of these agreements will play an important role in verifying Iran’s compliance with the terms of the JCPOA. As is the case with all IAEA safeguards agreements, the text of the final IAEA agreement will remain confidential.
Opponents of the Iran nuclear limitation agreement have seized on the existence of rudimentary bilateral agreements between the IAEA and Iran as “secret side deals” that bypass Capitol Hill. Armed Services Committee member Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) said that the administration “is asking Congress and the American people to trust, but not verify” and has asked “what other elements may also be secret and entirely free from public scrutiny.” Chairman Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) of the Foreign Relations Committee and Ranking Minority Member Ben Cardin (D-Md.) sent a letter to President Obama asking for copies of the confidential documents so Congress can view them during their review process.
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