Daily Alert

Inspections and Monitoring:
The Weak Link in the Iran Nuclear Deal

Share this
Amb. Dore Gold

Table of Contents

Over the last number of weeks, the great debate over Iran has focused on whether Iran is complying with the JCPOA from 2015. Is it keeping the Iran agreement or is it violating the Iran agreement. Frankly, this story and that question have been put to rest when the national security adviser of the United States, General McMaster, said on Fox News that in fact the Iranians have already violated parts of the agreement.

So then the question is: Does that mean that President Trump will not certify Iran. There’s a point here which is not really well understood by many people. The question of certifying Iran or not certifying Iran, which the president will be called to do in mid-October, is not an issue of treaty compliance. It’s whether certain specific standards set by the U.S. Congress not long after the agreement was concluded are being met.

As far as I’m concerned, one of the most important of these standards set by the U.S. Congress is whether there are no covert Iranian activities going on in the nuclear field. The Iran agreement gives the P5+1, it gives the IAEA – the International Atomic Energy Agency, in particular – access to certain declared facilities. But what’s increasingly coming to the attention of the public is that the agreement doesn’t adequately address the question of undeclared sites. It’s as though the negotiators forgot some famous names: Natanz  – the main enrichment site of Iran; Arak – where the Iranians have their heavy-water facility which will allow them the pathway to a plutonium bomb; and the famous underground site at Fordo near Qom where the Iranians have another enrichment facility for their uranium.

What has to be remembered, and maybe should have been remembered, is that all these sites that were eventually disclosed were all secret, undeclared sites. If the Iranians are ever going to break through to a nuclear bomb, they’re going to do it in those kind of secret sites that eventually the West discovered over the last 20 years, and not through some declared facility that was put into the JCPOA.

All this is particularly important because if we go back to 2015, Secretary of State John Kerry was asked by The Times of Israel about the verification procedures in the agreement. And he said that according to the Iran agreement, Iran will be subjected to the most rigorous and demanding verification and monitoring regime ever negotiated for a nuclear agreement. Is that so? The head of the Atomic Energy organization of Iran, Ali Akbar Salehi, has insisted that the requirement put forward by American spokesmen that Iran’s military sites be inspected is unacceptable.

Indeed, Dr. Olli Heinonen, a former deputy director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, wrote in September in an FDD policy brief that he has information from an IAEA staff member that the agency has not conducted a single visit to suspected military sites in Iran. They’re off the table. In fact, the whole arrangement for inspections and monitoring is the weak link in the Iranian nuclear deal. I’m afraid we’re reaching the conclusion that Iran can continue with secret activities that will allow it to reach nuclear breakout sooner than later.

Amb. Dore Gold

Ambassador Dore Gold has served as President of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs since 2000. From June 2015 until October 2016 he served as Director-General of the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Previously he served as Foreign Policy Advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s Ambassador to the UN (1997-1999), and as an advisor to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
Share this

Subscribe to Daily Alert

The Daily Alert – Israel news digest appears every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday.

Related Items

Stay Informed, Always

Get the latest news, insights, and updates directly in your inbox—be the first to know!

Subscribe to Jerusalem Issue Briefs
The Daily Alert – Israel news digest appears every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday.







Notifications

The Jerusalem Center
What makes a child believe killing a #Jew is justified?

In PA textbooks, Jews are called liars and frauds; their fate: elimination. This is #indoctrination—not #education. But change is happening. On East to West, @IMPACT_SE CEO Marcus Sheff exposes how #UNRWA-funded schools are fueling extremism—and what real reform looks like.  Listen now on Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/2JHqh973U  Watch on YouTube: youtu.be/8OkJTGNfVUc

11:43am
The Jerusalem Center
Highlights from the @Jerusalem_Post Annual Conference in NYC:

Dr. @Dan_Diker, President of the JCFA: “October 7 wasn’t just an attack on Israel — it was a blow to the U.S. on Israeli soil. It demands moral clarity and a united front between Israel and the U.S. to defeat jihadist terror.”

2:20pm
The Jerusalem Center
@XAVIAERD says it like it is

Well, @XAVIAERD says it like it is: If you’re part of “#Queers for #Palestine,” he’ll pay for your flight to #Gaza. Go see for yourself how they treat LGBTQ+ people over there. Don’t miss this bold take on the Israel-Hamas war and the woke right.

2:32pm
The Jerusalem Center
“This isn’t Israel vs. Hamas — it’s the frontline of the free world.”

“This isn’t Israel vs. Hamas — it’s the frontline of the free world.” On Our Middle East by @JNS_org, @Dan_Diker@KhaledAbuToameh (JCFA/@GatestoneInst) break it down: If Hamas isn’t crushed, Iran wins. The jihadis—from #Gaza to your campus—get the green light. Diker: “This war is for the West.” No fluff. No filters. Just raw insight from two insiders who actually know what’s going on.  Watch: youtu.be/4Aq_zcbb4Yo

2:15pm
The Jerusalem Center
5/5 Lt. Col. Kalo on East to West with @smartinezamir:

“This operation showcases Israel’s strategic intelligence superiority both regionally and globally. It demonstrates the moral commitment to recovered soldiers and also strengthens Israel’s position with allies.” youtube.com/watch?v=nIvNNi

2:07pm
The Jerusalem Center
4/5 The operation built on intelligence gathered during the 2019 #Baumel recovery

#Mossad agents operated under cover in #Syria for years, visiting a graveyard multiple times under fire to collect remains for DNA matching. The intelligence community’s evolution combines technology, big data analysis, and human intelligence capabilities.

2:02pm
The Jerusalem Center
3/5 This recovery coincided with the release of Israeli hostage Edan Alexander

This recovery coincided with the release of Israeli hostage Edan Alexander from #Hamas in #Gaza, significantly boosting national morale amid an ongoing conflict now stretching over 18 months. The dual successes demonstrate #Israel‘s unwavering commitment to bringing all soldiers home.

1:58pm
The Jerusalem Center
2/5 The operation used the power vacuum following #Assad’s fall from #Damascus

Lt. Col. Avi Kalo, former head of IDF Prisoners & Missing Persons Division, calls it “an outstanding event that brings hope and new spirit to the people of Israel.” The operation utilized the power vacuum following #Assad‘s fall from #Damascus, allowing #Israeli intelligence to deploy ground capabilities in #Syria.

1:56pm
The Jerusalem Center
1/5 Israeli forces recovered the remains of Sergeant First Class Zvi Feldman

In an unprecedented operation, Israeli forces have recovered the remains of Sergeant First Class Zvi #Feldman, missing since the 1982 Battle of Sultan Yacoub. The complex #Mossad mission was conducted deep within #Syrian territory, 43 years after his disappearance. This follows the successful 2019 recovery of Zachary #Baumel from the same battle.

1:54pm
The Jerusalem Center
A molotov attack on a bus = a “barbecue party”?

That’s what #Palestinian kids are being taught under @UNRWA  — from grade school to graduation. This isn’t education. It’s indoctrination. Marcus Sheff of @IMPACT_SE  breaks it down with @smartinezamir

12:51pm

Close