WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Earlier on Wednesday, the Associated Press reported that Iran will be able to use its own inspectors to investigate any signs of nuclear weapons at its controversial Parchin facility.
"The standard of 'anywhere, anytime' inspections — so critical to a viable agreement — has dropped to when Iran wants, where Iran wants, on Iran's terms," Royce stated on Wednesday. "International inspections should be done by international inspectors. Period."
In mid-July, the P5+1 group of countries and Iran reached a comprehensive nuclear agreement on keeping Tehran's nuclear program peaceful in exchange for sanctions relief. But Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency signed a separate side deal pertaining to the nuclear verification regime.
"For weeks, Congress has been demanding access to this document to assess the viability of the inspections measures. Congress must now consider whether this unprecedented arrangement will keep Iran from cheating. This is a dangerous farce."
Similarly, House Speaker John Boehner urged the Obama administration not to trust Iran to inspect its own sites.
"Why should Iran be trusted to carry out its own nuclear inspections at a military site it tried to hide from the world? How does this not set a precedent for future inspections at suspicious military sites in Iran?"
Senator John Cronyn said allowing Iran to inspect its own sites is "naive and incredibly reckless."
"This revelation only reinforces the deep-seated concerns the American people have about the agreement," Cronyn said.
The Republican-controlled Congress has until September 17 to review and accept or reject the nuclear agreement with Iran.
President Obama has threatened to veto any resolution of disapproval from Congress. In order to block a presidential veto, both the Senate and House of Representatives would have to secure a two-thirds majority vote.
