Jazayeri: We Will Not Allow Even 'Limited and Controlled' Visits to Military Centers

One day after the remarks of Abbas Araghchi, the Deputy Foreign Minister and senior member of Iran's negotiation team regarding the acceptance of the Additional Protocol and 'managed access' to military and nuclear centers, the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces stated on Friday, June 15, that even 'limited and controlled' visits to Iran's military centers will not be permitted. According to the Tasnim news agency close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Masoud Jazayeri stated: 'We do not allow any kind of visit to military centers, whether these visits are limited and controlled, non-free, or in any other form.' He noted that despite the positions of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, and the emphasis of the commanders of the Armed Forces regarding not allowing visits and inspections of the country's military centers, the continued statements of American officials and some countries in the 1+5 group in this regard are thought-provoking. The Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces further emphasized: 'Based on information and all surveys, preventing any visits to military centers is the overwhelming demand of the Iranian people, thus no one has the right to act contrary to that.' Masoud Jazayeri added: 'Visits and inspections of centers under any title, including 'managed access', are not acceptable.' This comes while Abbas Araghchi stated on June 14 that if Iran accepts the Additional Protocol in the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), part of the final agreement with the 5+1 group will be the acceptance of 'managed access.' Mr. Araghchi emphasized that Iran does not 'accept inspections and visits' of 'non-nuclear' military or civilian centers, while adding: 'What is proposed in the context of the Additional Protocol is the discussion of managed access to these centers.' He added: 'Managed access is a specific procedure... there are laws and limitations... this does not mean visits or inspections in our view.' A senior member of the Iranian negotiation team emphasized: 'If an agreement is reached that the Additional Protocol will be implemented, the accesses provided in the context of the Additional Protocol will be managed accesses.' Yukiya Amano, the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, stated on June 6 that Iran has agreed to implement the Additional Protocol in the NPT. According to the Additional Protocol, surprise visits to nuclear facilities, and if necessary, military centers in Iran, are permitted. Meanwhile, Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, has ruled out interviews with Iranian nuclear scientists and inspections of Iran's military centers, and Amir Ali Hajizadeh, one of the commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has also assessed inspections of these centers 'under any title' as 'espionage.' However, Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Iranian Foreign Minister, has also stated that the Additional Protocol allows for 'some access,' but inspections of military centers are not part of it.