Shamkhani: Access to Military Sites is an Unnecessary and Nullified Issue

In response to the Islamic Republic's officials regarding the permission for inspectors to visit military sites in Iran, Ali Shamkhani, the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, described access to these sites as an 'unnecessary' issue on Friday, September 15. Shamkhani also denied that Iran has any 'undeclared nuclear activities.' The issue of foreign inspectors' access to Iran's military sites was raised again by the U.S. representative to the United Nations after the nuclear agreement known as the JCPOA was discussed earlier in September. Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the UN, expressed concern on Friday, September 24, that International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors do not have access to Iran's military bases. Haley further demanded that the Agency utilize all its powers to ensure that Iran adheres to the nuclear agreement of July 2015, namely the JCPOA. In response to these concerns, the IAEA Director General stated on Tuesday, September 10, that if the Agency becomes aware of activities or materials that are suspicious and contrary to the nuclear agreement, it can request visits to all facilities, including military sites in Iran. Yukiya Amano, the Director General of the Agency, also confirmed that Iran has so far complied with its obligations under the nuclear agreement with the 1+5 countries. However, the likelihood of a request to visit military sites did not meet with a favorable response from Iranian officials. For instance, the Iranian Foreign Minister reacted to the Director General's remarks about the possibility of visiting the Islamic Republic's military centers by stating that the Agency can only visit locations where nuclear activities are possible under the JCPOA. Now, the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran has emphasized that Iran has 'no undeclared nuclear activities in any geographical area of the country and the claims made are media fabrications by the Americans to evade their commitments and unfulfilled duties.' In an interview with the official Islamic Republic news agency, IRNA, he added: 'There are no activities or even nuclear research in any of the Islamic Republic of Iran's military centers, and past visits by the Agency confirm this.' The Trump administration in the U.S. insists that the Islamic Republic undermines the 'spirit of the nuclear agreement' with its actions, including missile tests. This is a point that Mr. Trump reiterated on Thursday, warning that the U.S. will not tolerate such actions. In this context, Zarif stated that the Agency can visit locations with the potential for nuclear activities. Amano's report indicated that the Agency does not differentiate between military and civilian sites in Iran. Boroujerdi stated that visits to military centers are subject to the decision of the Supreme National Security Council. Iran rejected any inspections of its military bases by the Agency. The Iranian response to the U.S. emphasis on the necessity of the Agency's access to military facilities was clear, with the U.S. ambassador stating that inspectors must gain access to Iran's military bases.