Washington, D.C.—Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement in response to comments from an unamed senior U.S. official indicating that it is "not appropriate" for IAEA inspectors to have full access to Iranian military sites as part of an agreement over Iran's nuclear program:

"It's outrageous that a senior U.S. official pointed out that if the United States wouldn't allow weapons inspectors full access to its military installations, Iran shouldn't either.  The United States is the chief defender of freedom across the world and a democratic nation founded on principles of liberty and the rule of law.  In stark contrast, Iran is the world's chief state sponsor of terrorism.  It is governed by a rogue regime whose constitution explicitly calls for jihad.  And the ayatollahs have honored the call by killing innocent Americans for more than three decades. To suggest that the same standards applied to the United States should also apply to Iran is gravely insulting to Americans. The Obama administration should accept nothing less than full access to any site for intrusive and unannounced inspections."