Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his deputy Abbas Araqchi attended a closed session of the Majlis on Sunday to brief lawmakers and answer their questions on the latest developments in the nuclear negotiations with the major powers to resolve a long-running dispute over Tehran's nuclear program.
"Araqchi told the session we have agreed to inspection of our military centers (solely) based on the terms of the Additional Protocol." Inspectors will be given managed access to the centers and "this management will be very serious," the MP Javad Karimi Qoddousi told Fars news agency after the meeting.
"During the talks, the other side handed us a list containing the names of several of our nuclear scientists demanding access to them for interview," Karimi Qoddousi quoted Araqchi as saying. The demand by some parties to the negotiations for access to Iran's military sites and meetings with nuclear scientists was in line with investigations into what the UN watchdog claims are possible military dimensions (PMD) of Iran's nuclear program, Araqchi told the lawmakers.
He noted that Tehran would "not allow access to our scientists."
This issue was clarified by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution in his remarks on Wednesday. "We will not let outsiders interrogate our scientists… over a fundamental indigenous achievement," which is a national issue, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said.
The Majlis speaker voiced satisfaction with the negotiators' explanations, describing them as "adequate".
"Mr. Zarif and Mr. Araqchi provided adequate explanation on the trend of the talks and what unfolded in the latest round. The lawmakers presented their views" Ali Larijani was quoted by ISNA as saying, expressing hope that the multifaceted final talks over Iran's nuclear dossier would end with "great achievements for the Iranian nation."
Lawmaker Behrouz Nemati described the meeting as "good", saying, "Issues related to the Fordo site and enrichment (work) were discussed, among other things," and Araqchi rejected the claim that under any final deal, Iran would agree to cut the number of centrifuges it operates at the Fordo facility.
It was proposed that the contents of the Lausanne agreement be made public in writing, Nemati said.
Iran and the so-called P5+1 reached a landmark understanding in the Swiss city of Lausanne on April 2 and are now in talks to iron out the details of the final agreement, which is set to be finalized by a June 30 deadline. Kazem Jalali, head of the Principlist Followers of Velayat faction in the 290-member assembly, said Zarif's explanations were "convincing."
The last round of negotiations in Vienna focusing on the text of the final agreement on the nuclear dispute and ending the economic sanctions against Iran lasted for three days and ended Friday.
