Iranian official threatened to ‘harm’ top nuke inspector to prevent secret deal disclosure

(NationalSecurity.news) Officials in the Iranian government actively prevented a leading International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) official from disclosing details of secret side deals to U.S. officials regarding the pending nuclear accord with the Islamic Republic, The Washington Free Beacon reported August 18.

Citing regional reports quoting a spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), the WFB noted that Yukiya Amano, the director general of the IAEA, reportedly remained quiet about the nature of key side deals during briefings with top U.S. officials over fears that disclosures of information regarding the deals would lead Iran to retaliate against him.

In Washington recently to brief members of Congress and others about the recently inked nuclear accord, Amano nevertheless did not discuss the nature of the side deals with Iran that the U.S. is not allowed to know about.

As the WFB further reported:

Iran apparently threatened Amano in a letter meant to ensure he did not reveal specific information about the nature of nuclear inspections going forward, according to Iranian AEOI spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi.

News of the threat further boosts suspicions among American policymakers and elected officials that the Iranians will go as far as needed to intimidate the top nuclear watchdog agency charged with ensuring that Tehran remains true to the agreement and does not cheat by operating covert nuclear development programs. Verification that Iran is sticking to the agreement has been touted as a vital component of the agreement by the Obama Administration.

“In a letter to Yukiya Amano, we underlined that if the secrets of the agreement (roadmap between Iran and the IAEA) are revealed, we will lose our trust in the Agency; and despite the US Congress’s pressures, he didn’t give any information to them,” Kamalvandi was quoted as saying Monday during a meeting with Iranian lawmakers, as reported by Tehran’s state-controlled Fars News Agency.

“Had he done so, he himself would have been harmed,” the official added.

In July, the White House acknowledged that side deals between Iran and the IAEA had been made. Obama National Security Advisor Susan Rice said the deals involve Iran accounting for past military applications of its nuclear program, but she rejected charges from Republicans that they were “secret” side deals.

Rice said the documents between Iran and the IAEA are not public, but that the administration has been informed of their contents and will share details with members of Congress in a classified briefing on Capitol Hill, The Hill reported July 22.

“We’re satisfied with them and we will share the contents of those briefings in full in a classified session with the Congress,” Rice told reporters. “So there’s nothing in that regard that we know that they won’t know.”

See also:

http://freebeacon.com

http://english.farsnews.com