VIENNA, Oct 2 (Reuters) -

The U.N. nuclear watchdog has said its independence is paramount and it does not take intelligence presented to it at face value, in an apparent response to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's description of a "secret atomic warehouse" in Iran.

"The agency sends inspectors to sites and locations only when needed. The agency uses all safeguards relevant to information available to it but it does not take any information at face value," International Atomic Energy Agency chief Yukiya Amano said in a statement on Tuesday.

"In order to maintain credibility, the agency's independence in relation to the implementation of verification activities is of paramount importance," he said.

"All information obtained, including from third parties, is subject to rigorous review and assessed together with other available information."