Iraqi Reports Iran's Readiness for 'Any Scenario' in Negotiations

A senior member of Iran's nuclear negotiating team emphasized that Iran is prepared for 'any scenario' in negotiations with the P5+1 group, while stating that a final agreement is 'very likely' to be achievable before the July deadline. Abbas Araqchi, in an interview with APA, an Austrian news agency, said, 'Although I am optimistic, this optimism does not mean that Iran will accept any agreement.' He added, 'All parties seek a good agreement, and for Iran, a good agreement is one that respects legitimate rights and ends sanctions.' Araqchi stressed, 'We have considered all possibilities and are therefore prepared for all scenarios.' Just a day before Araqchi's remarks, Mohammad Baqer Nobakht, head of the Management and Planning Organization and government spokesman, announced that the sixth development plan of the country would be drafted with three scenarios: 'normal', 'failure of nuclear negotiations with the P5+1', and 'success of these negotiations.' Tehran and the P5+1 have announced their intention to reach a comprehensive agreement regarding Iran's nuclear activities by July 1. Meanwhile, Araqchi stated, 'We believe that resolving the technical aspects of the agreement will not be difficult if there is strong will and determination. If that is the case, the final agreement will very likely be achievable before the deadline.' This senior member of Iran's nuclear negotiating team mentioned on Thursday, May 13, that drafting the final text of the nuclear agreement will take one or two more weeks and that there are still significant differences between the parties. The third round of talks between Iran and the P5+1 to draft the comprehensive nuclear agreement, which began on Tuesday, May 11, concluded on Friday night, May 14, and a new round of negotiations is expected to resume in the last week of this month. Concurrently with the end of another round of nuclear negotiations between Iran and the P5+1, several Friday prayer leaders in Iran emphasized during the Friday prayers on May 14 that access to military sites is not provided for in the Additional Protocol of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. A day prior to these remarks, Araqchi had emphasized that 'the examination of non-nuclear sites' in Iran would be based on 'specific conditions' and would be 'managed access for environmental sampling.' He had also referred to 'managed access' to Iran's military sites as 'environmental sampling.' In similar remarks, Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, stated on Tuesday, May 7, that 'inspectors can take samples from areas surrounding non-nuclear sites based on the Additional Protocol.' According to the Additional Protocol of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which Iran voluntarily accepted in the Lausanne nuclear agreement, inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency will be permitted to conduct unannounced inspections of Iran's nuclear facilities whenever they deem it necessary.