The inspection regime created in 1957 under the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is a gentlemen’s agreement; inspectors can inspect only those facilities that are made known to them by the government in question. Governments (such as Iran’s) can and do carry out illegal nuclear activities in secret sites that international inspectors either do not know about or cannot enter.
国际原子能机构（IAEA）1957年所制定的检查制度只是个君子协定；检查人员只能检查问题政府自己披露的已知设施。政府（比如伊朗政府）可以也确实在秘密地点从事非法核活动，国际检查人员要么对此不知情，要么无法进入现场。同样重要的是，没有协定规定违反NPT（比如伊朗和朝鲜，后者在2003年退出了NPT）会怎样。