Iraqchi: There are one or two exceptions in monitoring Iran's nuclear program beyond the Additional Protocol

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Iraqchi stated that the monitoring measures accepted in the Vienna nuclear agreement are "within the framework of the Additional Protocol" and that there are no provisions for monitoring beyond this protocol. He added that there are "one or two exceptions" regarding the type of monitoring in the JCPOA, but these do not align with what some countries refer to as the "Additional Protocol Plus" and do not exceed the Additional Protocol. Iraqchi did not provide details on the exceptions to the Additional Protocol in the Vienna nuclear agreement. Prior to the Vienna agreement, some analysts, including former French ambassador to Iran Francois Nicolo, had stated that accepting the Additional Protocol would not be sufficient to answer the Agency's questions about the possible military dimensions of Iran's nuclear program, and the negotiating parties were looking to draft a chapter referred to as the Additional Protocol Plus. According to these analysts, the Additional Protocol Plus could address challenges such as access to certain non-nuclear sites or interviews with Iranian nuclear scientists that are not explicitly mentioned in the Additional Protocol. Before the Vienna nuclear agreement, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei repeatedly emphasized that Iran would not allow inspections of military sites or interviews with nuclear scientists. Meanwhile, based on a "roadmap" signed on July 14, just hours before the official announcement of the comprehensive nuclear agreement between Iran and the 5+1 group, the two sides reached a "separate agreement" regarding the military site of Parchin. However, this roadmap does not detail the specifics of this "separate arrangement." Recently, during various Senate and House committee questioning sessions with U.S. government officials, some American representatives and senators revealed that under a provision of this "roadmap," sampling from the Parchin site is the responsibility of Iran. Additionally, the International Atomic Energy Agency announced on August 15 that it had received information and documents from Iran regarding outstanding issues related to the country's past nuclear program. In another part of the discussion, Iraqchi stated that IAEA inspectors are "checked by the Ministry of Intelligence" and that the Foreign Ministry then issues visas for them. He emphasized that no one outside the group of inspectors approved by the Islamic Republic of Iran can enter the country as an IAEA inspector. Iraqchi also mentioned that IAEA inspectors must come from countries with which Iran has diplomatic relations, and that American and Canadian inspectors cannot come to Iran for inspections of nuclear facilities. He stated that the IAEA should introduce about 150 inspectors, and after Iran's approval, these individuals can travel to Iran for inspections and verification.