Tehran, Iran, June 26
By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:
Ways exist that can help remove mutual concerns in the Iran nuclear debate, and one of the best ways to do so is expert talks, an Iranian politician and scholarly figure says.
There is a common mistrust among Iran, the IAEA, and the world powers negotiating Iran's nuclear program which has delayed a final agreement, Ahmad Shirzad, nuclear physics professor and former MP told Trend June 26.
He said that the Iranian government's concern over the extent of IAEA inspections of the country's facilities is understandable.
The International Atomic Energy Agency asked Iran to allow interviews with some Iranian officials and nuclear scientists. The UN body also wants to inspect Parchin military base, where Iran might have conducted nuclear-related tests in the last decade.
Besides some general concerns, there is for example the possibility that by giving the IAEA access to every inch of its territory, the Islamic Republic would violate its citizens' legal rights of ownership as pieces of land are naturally owned by one citizen or another, he said in relation to recent remarks by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who said it is impossible for the IAEA to inspect a country inch by inch.
Khamenei on June 23 ruled out freezing sensitive nuclear work in the country for a long time and said sanctions imposed on it should be lifted as soon it reaches a final deal with the P5+1. He said that the period of implementation of nuclear agreement shouldn't be 10-12 years, but much shorter.
There is virtually a universal concern about the Additional Protocol to the NPT, and no country would hand over its entire land for inspection, Shirzad observed.
The former MP went on to point out that that the IAEA has a professional role to inspection nuclear sites, but there is a clear definition to nuclear sites.
Edited by CN
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