Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on August 29 rejected a U.S. demand that UN nuclear inspectors visit Tehran's military bases, while other Iranian officials called the idea a "dream."
In a televised address, Rouhani said he believes that the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would be unlikely to agree to such visits in any case. "Our relations with the IAEA are defined by rules, not by the United States," Rouhani said. "I see it as unlikely that the IAEA will accept the request for inspections, but even if they do, we will not."
Rouhani also asserted that the United States will get little support from allies if it tries to back out of Tehran's 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers. "Twenty-eight [European Union] countries, which are America's allies, clearly say we are committed to the [deal]," he said.
French President Emmanuel Macron had said earlier in the day that he saw "no alternative" to the deal, which placed curbs on Iran's nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.