International Atomic Energy Agency chief Yukiya Amano testified Sept. 20 before an Iranian special committee to review the country's comprehensive nuclear deal with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany (P5+1). The presence of the IAEA chief in front of the conservative-led parliament gave the Iranian members of parliament an opportunity to air long-held grievances against the agency.
Amano, who had previously angered conservative Iranian media with comments about inspections of military sites in Iran, struck a conciliatory tone during his testimony, starting by saying, “I personally welcome cooperation between us. Since becoming the director of the IAEA in 2009, I made my first priority to resolve Iran’s nuclear issue through diplomacy because I believe in this path.”
