Iran moves to thwart foreign inspectors’ access
Bill would exempt military sites and nuclear scientists
By Ali Akbar Dareini
ASSOCIATED PRESS JUNE 22, 2015
TEHRAN — With some lawmakers chanting ‘‘Death to America,’’ Iran’s Parliament voted Sunday to ban access to military sites, documents, and scientists as part of a future deal with world powers over its contested nuclear program.
The bill, if ratified, could complicate the ongoing talks in Vienna between Iran and the six-nation group — the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China, and Germany — as they face a self-imposed June 30 deadline. The talks are focused on reaching a final accord that curbs Iran’s nuclear program in return for the lifting of economic sanctions.
TEHRAN — With some lawmakers chanting ‘‘Death to America,’’ Iran’s Parliament voted Sunday to ban access to military sites, documents, and scientists as part of a future deal with world powers over its contested nuclear program.
The bill, if ratified, could complicate the ongoing talks in Vienna between Iran and the six-nation group — the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China, and Germany — as they face a self-imposed June 30 deadline. The talks are focused on reaching a final accord that curbs Iran’s nuclear program in return for the lifting of economic sanctions.
Of 213 lawmakers present, 199 voted in favor of the bill, which also demands the complete lifting of all sanctions against Iran as part of any final nuclear accord. The bill must be ratified by the Guardian Council, a constitutional watchdog, to become a law.
The terms stipulated in the bill allow for international inspections of Iranian nuclear sites, but forbid any inspections of military facilities.
The bill states in part: ‘‘The International Atomic Energy Agency, within the framework of the safeguard agreement, is allowed to carry out conventional inspections of nuclear sites.’’
However, it concludes that ‘‘access to military, security, and sensitive non-nuclear sites, as well as documents and scientists, is forbidden.’’ It also would require Iran’s foreign minister to report to Parliament every six months on implementing the accord.
Iran’s nuclear negotiators say they already have agreed to grant United Nations inspectors ‘‘managed access’’ to military sites under strict control and specific circumstances. That right includes allowing inspectors to take environmental samples around military sites.
But Iranian officials, including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country’s supreme leader, have strongly rejected the idea of Iranian scientists being interviewed.
In a statement Sunday, the US State Department said inspections remain a key part of any final deal. All parties ‘‘are well aware of what is necessary for a final deal, including the access and transparency that will meet our bottom lines,’’ the statement said. ‘‘We won’t agree to a deal without that.’’
Two diplomats told the Associated Press last week that Iran and the six powers are still apart on all the main elements of the nuclear deal and will probably have to extend their negotiations. Their comments suggest there are several obstacles to the pact, apart from the public debate on how far Iran must open its nuclear program to outside purview.
Khamenei has for weeks rebuffed US demands that UN nuclear monitors have access to military sites and nuclear scientists as they monitor Tehran’s commitments under a deal and investigate allegations of past work on atomic arms.
But negotiators are concerned about a lack of headway on other remaining issues. Russian chief delegate Sergey Ryabkov said Friday the ‘‘rate of progress. . . is progressively slowing down.’’
Negotiators have been meeting five days a week in Vienna over the past few weeks. The two diplomats, who are familiar with the status of the talks, spoke as the latest five-day round began Wednesday. They demanded anonymity because they are not authorized to discuss the confidential negotiations.
Ways of implementing specific parts of the deal are supposed to be contained in four or five annexes to the main text of an agreement.
The diplomats described the draft of a main document as a patchwork of text and dozens of blank spaces because of stubborn disagreement on up to 10 elements crucial to any deal. Those details are to be included in four or five annexes, which remain incomplete.
Both sides remain publicly committed to June 30. Still, the diplomats said all nations at the table recognize that a delay up to July 9 is not a deal-breaker.
If Congress receives a deal by July 9, it has 30 days to review it before President Obama could suspend congressional sanctions. Postponement beyond that would double the congressional review period to 60 days, giving both Iranian and US opponents more time to work on undermining an agreement.
Any deal would cap nearly a decade of international efforts to restrict Iranian nuclear programs that could be turned toward making weapons.
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