Politics

Royce: If Iranian Self Inspections Stand ‘Then This Agreement Is A Farce’

Steve Guest Media Reporter
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Republican Rep. Ed Royce blasted the Iranian nuclear deal saying that if international inspectors are not allowed into Iranian military sites “then this agreement is a farce.”

Royce, Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, appearing on “America’s Newsroom” Thursday stated, “If they [Iran] won’t allow inspectors in here [military sties] now, what does that mean for their other military sites where they might do additional bomb work? This is a disaster in terms of the agreement.”

Bill Hemmer: What is the truth whether or not Iran inspects itself or there is oversight on behalf of the U.N.?

Ed Royce: It’s very clear what Iran is saying, right now. And right now, Iran is saying international inspectors will not go into their military sites. They will not make their scientists available for interviews and they’re not turning over the documents. So we had 350 Members of Congress write to the Administration and say that the ability to really assess whether Iran was going to keep this deal was dependent whether or not they would come clean with this past bomb work. What they’re saying right now in Iran, is that they have no intention. And this sets the standard, Bill, for the future. If they won’t allow inspectors in here now, what does that mean for their other military sites where they might do additional bomb work? This is a disaster in terms of the agreement.

Hemmer: If this plays out, on paper, the way it looks, why would the, this Administration agree to such a framework?

Royce: Well what the Administration did was in order to resolve the problem, they handed off to the U.N. the responsibility of negotiating this agreement with Iran. Because Iran wouldn’t make an agreement with the United States. Remember, they have already said U.S. inspectors aren’t allowed in. So the international inspectors were then asked to make the agreement with Iran. What Iran is saying is that, that agreement guarantees international inspectors don’t actually go into the sites, they are going to self-inspect from what they’re asserting. And the last point I would make, is that there are a thousand pages of documents show Iran did do bomb work in this site, deep in this mountain. If this stands, then this agreement is a farce. We’ll hold hearings on this when we go back into Congress and we’ll start with this very issue because they will not turn the documents over to us.

Hemmer: Okay. Ed Royce, thank you.

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