Iranian Official: Military Sites Off Limits Because ‘IAEA Inspectors Really CIA Agents’

A top adviser to Ayatollah Khamenei said Sunday that military sites will be off limits to inspections because the IAEA has been infiltrated by the CIA.

Press TV reports that Ali Akbar Velayati appeared on Iranian television Sunday night and explained why his government would never allow the IAEA to inspect its military sites. “It has been repeatedly seen that the (UN nuclear) agency’s inspectors have been a plaything in the hands of the CIA, but the Islamic Republic of Iran… will never allow its military sites to be inspected,” Velayati said. He added, “Records show that some of the agency’s inspectors are the agents of the US Central Intelligence Agency and this fact is documented and openly known.”

Referring to ongoing nuclear talks, Velayati also said, “We have no trust in the American statesmen’s conduct and remarks.” It’s not clear if this was intended as a vote of no-confidence in Secretary of State John Kerry, who has been leading the talks.

Kerry broke his leg during a bicycle ride in France on Sunday morning. After a night in the hospital, he was flown back to the United States on Monday. With just 30 days remaining until the deadline for a final nuclear deal with Iran, it’s unknown to what extent Kerry will be able to participate in the final stages of negotiations.

Inspections of military sites have been an ongoing sticking point in the negotiations since shortly after the framework deal was announced in April. Last week the French Foreign Minister, Laurent Fabius, highlighted the issue, saying his government would not sign a deal unless inspections of military sites were guaranteed.

Also last week, IAEA Director Yukiya Amano told French newspaper Le Monde that inspections of military sites is part of the Additional Protocol which Iran agreed to implement as part of the nuclear deal. As reported by the Times of Israel, Amano told Le Monde, “When we find inconsistency or when we have doubts we can request access to the undeclared location for example, and this could include military sites.”