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Iran does not reject possibility of inspecting its military sites

Nuclear Program Materials 6 May 2015 15:24 (UTC +04:00)
Abbas Araqchi, Iran's deputy foreign minister and a senior member of the Iranian negotiating team has said “managed inspection” of Iran’s military facilities would be possible based on the Additional Protocol.
Iran does not reject possibility of inspecting its military sites

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‬Baku, Azerbaijan, May 6

By Fatih Karimov - Trend: Abbas Araqchi, Iran's deputy foreign minister and a senior member of the Iranian negotiating team has said "managed inspection" of Iran's military facilities would be possible based on the Additional Protocol.

In a series of comments which were different from those of other Iranian officials, Araqchi said, "Within the framework of the Additional Protocol, the IAEA can have access to facilities which are claimed to be involved in illegal activities," Iran 's Tasnim news agency reported May 6.

The Additional Protocol allows unannounced inspections outside of declared nuclear sites and it is seen as a vital tool at the IAEA's disposal to make sure that a country does not have any hidden nuclear work.

"However, regarding non-nuclear sites, no easy and fast access will be allowed. The IAEA should provide documents and evidence. We will not allow inspectors to go everywhere they want. They will have permission to inspect certain places under our strict supervision and under specific circumstances."

That is while Araqchi said on April 11 that Iran will never allow a potential nuclear deal with the world powers to lead to the monitoring of its military and missile capabilities.

Iran "absolutely rejects" any foreign access to its military facilities under the pretext of addressing the so-called "possible military dimensions" of Tehran 's nuclear program, he added.

"Our missiles, either ballistic or others, will not be under the supervision and monitoring of the other side" subject to a nuclear deal, he said, alluding to recent remarks of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that Iran's defense capabilities was not on the agenda of the nuclear talks with the powers and will never be included in any nuclear deal.

Meanwhile, Head of Iran Atomic Energy Organization Aliakbar Salehi said on April 26 that it is possible that Iran would allow the International Atomic Energy Organization access to non-nuclear sites under conditions.He made the statement speaking in a live interview with the Iranian state TV in response to a question whether US Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz's claim that Iran would provide the IAEA with "unprecedented access" to its nuclear program, he added.

"They are probably explaining the additional protocol from their own viewpoint," he said. "If the IAEA would like to inspect non-nuclear sites, they have to first of all tell so to Iran, and then justify why they do so."

Iran and the major powers (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany) are busy writing the draft of the final nuclear deal in New York, where the NPT review conference is underway.

Edited by CN

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