Closed Session of Parliament Held with Presence of Zarif and Araqchi

Reports indicate that a closed session of Parliament was held on Sunday, June 3, with the presence of Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Foreign Minister, and Abbas Araqchi, a senior member of Iran's nuclear negotiation team. According to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), Mohammad Hossein Farhangi, a member of the Parliament's presiding board, stated that Zarif and Araqchi were to explain the latest developments in Iran's negotiations with the P5+1 to the representatives during the closed session. Behrouz Namati, the spokesperson for the presiding board, also told Fars News Agency that the closed session had begun moments ago to review the drafting of the nuclear agreement text between Iran and the P5+1 with the presence of the Foreign Minister and his deputy. Mehr News Agency reported that the agenda for the closed session on Sunday included addressing representatives' ambiguities regarding new American demands concerning sanctions and inspections, which prompted Zarif to be summoned to Parliament for explanations. In recent days, several high-ranking officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran have expressed concerns and opposed the possibility of inspections of Iran's military sites. In this context, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, stated on Wednesday: 'As previously mentioned, no inspections of any military sites or discussions with nuclear scientists and other sensitive fields will be permitted.' Members of Iran's nuclear negotiation team had previously indicated the possibility of 'managed access' to Iran's military sites, clarifying that 'access' does not mean inspections but rather 'environmental sampling.' In similar remarks, Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, stated on Tuesday, April 7, that 'inspectors can take samples from areas surrounding non-nuclear sites based on the Additional Protocol.' The commander of the Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated on Friday that inspections 'under any title' and even from a 'distance' from Iran's military sites would be considered 'espionage.' In this context, Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, emphasized the government's complete obedience to the Supreme Leader, stating that Iran would 'never' sign an agreement that allows access to 'scientific and military secrets' of the country. Meanwhile, Aladdin Boroujerdi, the head of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Iranian Parliament, said on Thursday evening in a television program that visits to 'sensitive sites' in Iran 'using' the Additional Protocol are 'unacceptable.' He added, 'If the Additional Protocol is ever reviewed in Parliament, these issues will be removed.' According to the Additional Protocol of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), which Iran accepted to implement voluntarily in the Lausanne nuclear agreement, inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are allowed to conduct unannounced inspections of Iran's nuclear facilities whenever they deem necessary. However, Hassan Rouhani stated on Thursday, May 31, that 'the management of the implementation of the Additional Protocol will be with us and based on respecting red lines.' Iran and the countries of the United States, Britain, France, China, and Russia, along with Germany (the P5+1 members), announced on April 2 in Lausanne, Switzerland, that they had established the 'frameworks' for the final agreement. Based on the Lausanne understanding, the scope of Iran's nuclear program will be limited in exchange for the lifting of European Union and United States sanctions and United Nations Security Council resolutions against the Islamic Republic. Iran and the P5+1 countries have until July 2 to reach a final and comprehensive agreement regarding Iran's nuclear program.