Iran Deal: ‘Parchin Truthers’ Question AP’s ‘Side Deal’ Text

President Barack Obama’s political allies are questioning the text of a “side deal” between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) published by the Associated Press this week.

The AP report was confirmed by Fox News, and not denied by the UN or the White House..

The deal reportedly allows Iran to conduct its own tests for nuclear material at the Parchin military site, which is suspected of having hosted nuclear weapons research. The Obama administration has not provided the deal to Congress, and many U.S. officials claim not to have seen it.

The skeptics–now mocked as “Parchin truthers” by their opponents–appear to be basing their claims on a Huffington Post interview with a former IAEA official named Tariq Rauf. “In my personal view, this is not an authentic document,” Rauf said.

The AP has stood by its report, which was based on a draft document close in substance to the final deal.

The “Parchin truthers” include Trita Parsi, who heads the National Iranian-American Council (NIAC), a group often described as a pro-regime lobby. Parsi retweeted an accusation that the AP text may have been “personally forged by Benjamin Netanyahu,” and added his own comment.

A former NIAC employee, Sahar Nowrouzzadeh, now works for the Obama administration as the National Security Council Director for Iran.

Another “Parchin truther” is J Street, the far-left lobby group that opposes the Israeli government, and often defends Obama administration policies in Congress:

Vox’s Max Fisher joined in:

Fisher later cited Rauf’s speculations (cautiously) and argued that “monitored inspections” were sufficient for Iran anyway.