Iranian Commander: Hot Lead Will Be Iran’s Response to Demands for Inspection of Military Sites

Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh underlined that the West’s request to inspect Iran’s sensitive military sites is like asking for permission to spy on the country, and Tehran would never accept such irrational demands.
“We will not allow inspection of Iran’s military and defense centers and control over them under any pretext, and we see the West’s request as officially asking for spying on Iran,” Brigadier General Hajizadeh said in a meeting in Tehran on Friday with foreign military attaches and high-raking Iranian military officials and commanders.

Underlining that such demands are “cruel”, “irrational” and “illegal”, Brigadier General Hajizadeh stressed that as Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei has said “Iran will not allow them to do managed or unmanaged inspection of its military and defense sites from any distance and in any form, and will give such demands a response that spying actions deserve, a response with lead”.

On Wednesday, Ayatollah 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.

“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 is the other side’s bullying and excessive demands.

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

Elsewhere, the Supreme Leader pointed to certain reports on collaboration between the enemies and certain Persian Gulf littoral states’ officials to draw proxy wars to Iran’s bordering areas, and said, “The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps and all those Armed Forces who safeguard the national security boundaries are vigilant and awake and if any mischief happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will show a very harsh reaction.”

He also dismissed enemies’ propaganda on isolation of Iran, and said the Islamic Republic has always been adored by different nations and enemies’ attempts are futile.

In relevant remarks 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.