Continued Criticism in Parliament Regarding Access to Military Sites

In response to statements from government officials regarding 'managed access' to Iran's military sites, the head of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of Parliament and a member of this commission emphasized that Iran will not allow 'visits' to 'military and sovereign' sites. Previously, Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Foreign Minister, and Abbas Araghchi, his deputy and a senior member of Iran's negotiation team, had mentioned the possibility of 'managed access' to Iran's military sites, clarifying that 'access' refers not to inspections but to 'environmental sampling.' In similar remarks, Ali Akbar Salehi, 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.' However, Ismail Kowsari, a member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of Parliament, stated on Tuesday, April 29, that Mr. Araghchi had been 'verbally warned' about this matter. According to Fars News Agency, he added: 'I would like to emphasize that under no circumstances will we allow inspections of military sites in the country, even if they are managed and controlled, to any team or organization.' Mr. Kowsari also warned that inspections of military sites are 'red lines' for the Leader of the Islamic Republic, and Mr. Araghchi's statements on this matter 'must be corrected.' Ali Akbar Velayati, advisor for international affairs to the Leader of the Islamic Republic, also emphasized on Sunday, April 27, that 'military officials are not authorized to allow anyone to inspect the defensive system of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and these matters are part of the security of the Islamic Republic of Iran.' This comes despite earlier statements by Ali Saidi, the representative of the Leader of the Islamic Republic in the Revolutionary Guards, who said on Tuesday, November 24, 2014, 'We have fully accepted the Agency's oversight. If they accept our rights, the Parliament may also accept and ratify the protocol.' Meanwhile, Aladdin Boroujerdi, head of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of Parliament, stated on Tuesday: 'Our definitive decision at this stage is not to allow visits to military and sovereign sites. It should not happen that they want to see, for example, the President's office, which they have no right to.' In an interview with ISNA, he also emphasized that the government 'must have the Parliament's permission even for the voluntary implementation of the Additional Protocol.' According to the Additional Protocol to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), which Iran agreed to implement voluntarily in the Lausanne nuclear agreement, inspectors from the Atomic Energy Agency will be allowed to conduct unannounced inspections of Iran's nuclear facilities whenever they deem necessary. However, the head of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Iranian Parliament emphasized that 'the events of the seventh Parliament can easily be repeated in the ninth Parliament.' According to Mr. Boroujerdi, at that time, the seventh Parliament halted the voluntary implementation of the Additional Protocol one month after it began. The head of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Iranian Parliament also stated on Saturday, April 12, that the acceptance of the Additional Protocol to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons by the Islamic Republic, 'even voluntarily,' requires the Parliament's approval. Mr. Boroujerdi's statements come as some officials of the Islamic Republic, including Marzieh Afkham, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ali Akbar Salehi, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, have stated that Iran may 'under certain conditions' sign the Additional Protocol, but the final decision lies with the Iranian Parliament. The third round of negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 group for drafting the text of the comprehensive nuclear agreement, which began on Tuesday, April 22, ended on Friday night, April 25, and a new round of negotiations is expected to resume in the last week of this month. Meanwhile, Majid Takht Ravanchi, a member of the Iranian nuclear negotiation team, stated on Tuesday that we are looking for a 'good agreement' and 'will not yield to the excessive demands of the other side.' In this context, Araghchi announced Iran's readiness 'for any scenario' in the negotiations. The advisor to Khamenei warned about 'the risk to the essence of the negotiations.' Zarif stated: 'The Additional Protocol does not allow for excessive access.'