Senior Iran cmdr. rules out military sites inspection under nuclear deal

A high-ranking Iranian military commander says Tehran will never allow the inspection of its military sites as part of a possible nuclear deal between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries.

“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 on Friday.

“The American side’s insistence on attending Iran’s military centers can be evaluated with regard to the repressed and unattainable wishes of the White House officials,” he added.

His remarks came after US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter claimed 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 pointed out.

On Wednesday, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan also rejected as false media reports claiming that international inspectors would be granted access to Iran’s military sites based on a recent understanding between Tehran and the P5+1 on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.

“No such agreement has been reached and basically, visiting military centers are among the red lines and no visit to these centers will be allowed,” Dehqan said.

Iran and P5+1 group of countries – Russia, China, France, Britain, the US and Germany – along with officials from the European Union reached a mutual understanding on Tehran’s nuclear program after eight days of marathon talks in Switzerland last week.

Western media outlets have published reports and analyses containing interpretations of the understanding which contradict the version put forward by the Iranian team of negotiators. The media reports are also based on a so-called fact sheet provided by the White House immediately after the talks ended in the city of Lausanne.

Iran has categorically denied most of such claims. On Wednesday, Head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization Ali Akbar Salehi said Tehran is preparing its own fact sheet to elucidate the terms of the agreement. He said the document is being prepared by Iran’s Foreign Ministry and will be released in the coming days.