U.N. Nuclear Watchdog Cautions Against Pressure on Inspections, According to Reuters

VIENNA (Reuters) – The U.N. nuclear regulator overseeing Iran’s agreement with major powers stated on Wednesday that attempts to exert pressure on inspection processes are "counter-productive and extremely harmful," without specifying the parties involved.

Israel, a staunch opponent of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, has urged the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to inspect what it claims are "secret atomic warehouses" and other sites in Iran. The administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump, who withdrew the United States from the agreement, has echoed similar requests.

The IAEA has expressed its dissatisfaction with such demands but has typically employed cautious language publicly, emphasizing that it evaluates information independently and will only deploy inspectors to specific locations when deemed necessary.

During a speech to agency staff on Wednesday, IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano was more forthright.

"If our credibility is called into question, particularly through attempts to micro-manage or pressure the agency in nuclear verification, that is counter-productive and extremely harmful," he stated, as noted in a transcript of his speech released by the IAEA.

He did not provide further details about the pressures or those behind them.

The IAEA is responsible for monitoring Iran’s compliance with the restrictions outlined in the nuclear deal, which also facilitated the lifting of international sanctions against the country.

Amano reaffirmed that Iran is adhering to its commitments under the agreement. On the same day, Trump criticized top U.S. intelligence officials as "extremely passive and naive" regarding Iran, following their contradictory statements in congressional testimony the previous day.

Amano also made a strong case for the IAEA’s role in overseeing inspections in North Korea if a political resolution regarding the country’s nuclear program is reached. Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are scheduled to hold their second summit at the end of February.

"The IAEA is the only international organization that can verify the nuclear program of North Korea," Amano stated, using the official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Amano emphasized that his agency is uniquely positioned to undertake this task, although it has not had access to North Korea since 2009 when it was expelled by Pyongyang.

"As far as the nuclear program of the DPRK is concerned, we remain ready to play an essential verification role if a political agreement is reached among the relevant countries," he added.