Senior Cleric: Iran, G5+1 Merely Focusing on N. Talks
Tehran’s Provisional Friday Prayers leader Ayatollah Seyed Ahmad Khatami hailed the country’s team of nuclear negotiators for safeguarding the Iranian nation’s inalienable rights to nuclear technology, and underlined that inspection of Iran’s military sites will never be on the agenda of Iran-power talks.
Addressing a large and fervent congregation of people on Tehran University campus on Friday, Ayatollah Khatami said, “The negotiating team only focuses on the nuclear issues; inspections of military sites are not the agenda of talks (with big powers).”
Ayatollah Khatami reiterated that Iran will continue to make state-of-the-art weapons for deterrent purposes, and said, “We will only not make atomic bomb.”
He pointed to Lausanne statement and the ongoing nuclear negotiations between Iran and the Group 5+1 (the US, Russia, China, France and Britain plus Germany), and said, “Yesterday guidelines by Iran’s Supreme Leader (Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei) clearly set the Islamic Republic’s stances towards nuclear talks …”
On Thursday, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Brigadier General Massoud Jazzayeri rejected media reports that inspection of the country’s military centers is included in the recent nuclear statement issued by Iran and the world powers in Lausanne.
The Swiss statement does not include allowing inspections of military centers, Brigadier General Jazzayeri said.
“We have not so far permitted inspection of the military centers, and we are not to do so in the future,” he underlined.
His remarks came after the UK Guardian Daily claimed that inspecting Iran’s military centers was mentioned in the Lausanne statement at the end of talks between Iran and the Group 5+1 (the US, Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany) on April 2.
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.
After reading a joint statement issued by Iran and the six world powers to a joint press conference with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini on April 2, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif warned that Tehran will reciprocate any violation of the final nuclear deal by the six world powers with similar action.
Speaking to reporters subsequent to a joint press conference with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini in Lausanne, Zarif said the agreements and the shared understanding developed in the last eight days of talks will be the basis for working out a final nuclear deal after the inclusion of details and mechanisms for implementing them.
Zarif reiterated that a final deal should be worked out in the next three months.
He said Iran is committed to the documents that it signs and expects the six world powers to do the same.
Zarif said work will continue by the seven nations “to proceed based on their present shared understanding”, adding that the seven nations should look ahead with optimism “and if any problem arises, we should sit and talk based on mutual respect, and then move ahead”.
Asked about Iran’s possible reaction if the opposite side defies its undertakings under the pretext of having a different interpretation of the solutions gained, he said that the seven nations party to the nuclear talks might present today’s agreement in different ways as they see fit.
“What was agreed as different solutions to achieve a comprehensive joint plan of action is based on a win-win approach that will end the sanctions against Iran.”
“Iran’s nuclear program will continue, but we will adopt measures to build confidence at international level,” he added.
