Basij Commander Views Inspection of Military Centers as Major Threat to Iran
Thu Jun 11, 2015
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940321000361

TEHRAN (FNA)- Commander of Iran's Basij (volunteer) Force Brigadier General
Mohammad Reza Naqdi said the western demand for inspecting Iran's military
centers under a final nuclear deal would pose a major threat to the country
and will, thus, be impossible.

The purpose of "the excessive demand made by the US and its allies in the
negotiations is fully clear; they intend to introduce Iran as a threat to
the world under the pretext of visiting the military centers," Naqdi said in
the Northwestern city of Zanjan on Thursday.

He reiterated once again that visiting Iran's military sites will be
impossible, stressing that national pride and continued respect for the
Iranian nation are Tehran's redlines in the negotiations.

His remarks came after Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araqchi
said differences still remain between Tehran and the world powers on the
implementation of the Additional Protocol to the NPT, yet, he strongly
rejected any possibility for the inspection of Iran's military sites and
interview with nuclear scientists by outsiders.

"Interview with scientists and inspection of military centers are fully
rejected, but talks continue within the framework of the procedures
envisaged in the Additional Protocol," Araqchi told Iran's state-run TV late
May.

"The methods for implementing the Additional Protocol are among the issues
of difference and we are discussing them," he added.

Araqchi's remarks came after Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution
Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei reiterated Iran's opposition to the inspection
of sensitive military sites and interview with the country's nuclear
scientists.

"As said before, no permission will be given for inspection of any military
centers and talks with the nuclear scientists and other sensitive fields of
study and intrusion into their privacy," Ayatollah Khamenei said, addressing
the Iranian cadets at Imam Hossein University - a renowned military academy
of the IRGC - in Tehran late last month.

"I will not allow the aliens to hold talks and interrogate the dear and
distinguished scientists and sons of this nation," he stressed.

Ayatollah Khamenei also referred to the nuclear talks underway between Iran
and the world powers, and said one of the challenges facing the talks was
the other side's bullying and excessive demands.

But he stressed that the enemies should know that the Iranian nation would
not bow to the pressures and excessive demands.

In relevant comments on April 9, Ayatollah Khamenei specified conditions for
a final nuclear deal with the world powers, and underlined that Iran doesn’t
allow any inspection of its defensive and military centers.

"They (the foreigners) shouldn’t be allowed at all to penetrate into the
country's security and defensive boundaries under the pretext of
supervision, and the country's military officials are not permitted at all
to allow the foreigners to cross these boundaries or stop the country's
defensive development under the pretext of supervision and inspection,"
Ayatollah Khamenei said, addressing a large number of Iranian people in
Tehran in early April.

Elaborating on his position on the recent nuclear statement issued by Iran
and the Group 5+1 (the US, Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany)
in Lausanne, Switzerland, he said, "I am neither in favor nor against it
since nothing has happened yet and no binding issue has occurred between the
two sides."

Ayatollah Khamenei underscored that he will support a final deal which would
guarantee the Iranian nation's honor and interests, and added, "I am not
indifferent to the negotiations but I have not interfered in the details of
the negotiations by now and will not interfere in the future either."

Ayatollah Khamenei stressed the necessity for continued progress in the
country's nuclear Research and Development (R&D) and development of the
nuclear industry, and said another important issue in the final deal is that
"the sanctions should be removed completely on the same day (of the
implementation) of any agreement".

Also in April, Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali
Akbar Salehi said there is no paragraph or article in the additional
protocol to NPT to allow inspection of non-nuclear sites.

Salehi said that Paragraph 30 under Article 5 of the NPT Additional Protocol
(which has not been yet accepted by Iran and should be approved by the
parliament for implementation) allows the inspectors to inspect the
vicinities of the non-nuclear sites, but they misinterpret that and intend
to enter those sites, which will not be allowed.

"Everyone wishes to present their own interpretations of the nuclear
negotiations, but the point to be kept in mind is that the Iranians have
still not signed any agreement. The accomplished job so far is the shared
understanding over various issues," he went on to say referring to the
Iran-Powers nuclear understanding reached in Lausanne on April 2.

After nine days of hard work in Lausanne, Switzerland, Iran and the G5+1
reached an understanding on April 2 which laid the ground for them to start
drafting the final nuclear deal over Tehran's nuclear energy program ahead
of a July 1 deadline.

Reading out a joint statement at a press conference with EU foreign policy
chief Federica Mogherini in Lausanne on April 2, Iranian Foreign Minister
Mohammad Javad Zarif said according to the agreement, all the US, EU and UN
Security Council sanctions against Iran would be lifted under the final
deal.

Talks are underway among the delegations of the seven nations to draft the
final deal.