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Iran rejects access to its military sites under any deal: negotiator

Xinhua, April 11, 2015 Adjust font size:

Iran would never allow a potential nuclear deal with the world powers to monitor its military and missile capabilities, Iranian senior nuclear negotiator told Tasnim news agency on Saturday.

Iran "absolutely rejects" any foreign access to its military facilities under the pretext of addressing the so-called "possible military dimensions" of Tehran's nuclear program, Abbas Araqchi said.

"Our missiles, either ballistic or others, will not be under the supervision and monitoring of the other side" subject to a nuclear deal, he said, alluding to recent remarks of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that Iran's defense capabilities was not on the agenda of the nuclear talks with the powers and will never be included in any nuclear deal.

Similar stance was echoed by a high-ranking Iranian military commander who said Tehran will never allow the inspection of its military sites as part of a possible nuclear deal between Iran and the world powers, Press TV reported on Friday.

"During the previous negotiations, the Iranian officials ... have explicitly and unequivocally expressed the prohibition of any inspection of (Iran's) military and defense centers and facilities," Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Brigadier General Masoud Jazayeri said.

However, U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said Thursday that the inspection of Iran's military facilities would be part of any final nuclear agreement between Tehran and the six world powers.

"Such remarks either show the low understanding of the speaker or stem from the overwhelming bias of the American negotiating side," Jazayeri said.

"Iran will implement an agreed set of measures to address the IAEA's concerns regarding the Possible Military Dimensions (PMD) of its program," said a fact sheet issued by the United States following the latest nuclear talks between Iran and the P5+1 group -- Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the Untied States -- in the Swiss city of Lausanne.

Iran and six world powers reached a framework accord last week on parameters of Iran's nuclear program, with a view to sealing a final comprehensive accord by the end of June. Endit