US Makes Media Hype to Impose Will in Nuclear Talks, Says Afkham

TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman MarziyehAfkham voiced displeasure in the US officials’ repeated claims about inspection of Iran’s military centers under a possible future deal, saying such allegations are only aimed at a media hype to impose Washington’s will in the nuclear talks with Tehran.

Speaking to reporters in her weekly press conference in Tehran on Wednesday, Afkham noted the US officials’ repeated remarks about inspection of Iran’s military sites and interview with the Iranian nuclear scientists under a future deal, and said, “The Islamic Republic’s positions have been declared very explicitly and firmly at the highest levels and no change has been made to our explicit and reasonable positions.”

Afkham said repetition of such allegations merely aims to cause hue and cry to serve psychological war purposes, and added, “The parties (in the nuclear talks with Iran) are striving to find some solutions to settle these issues and make some frameworks for them.”

“Such propaganda hypes never influence the negotiating room and atmosphere as issues need solutions and everyone is now after finding the solution,” she stressed.

Afkham, meantime, underscored that the solutions should be based on Iran’s international undertakings, stressing that the country never accepts anything beyond them.

Her remarks came after Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araqchi said differences still remain between Tehran and the world powers on the implementation of the Additional Protocol to the NPT, yet, he strongly rejected any possibility for the inspection of Iran’s military sites and interview with nuclear scientists by outsiders.

“Interview with scientists and inspection of military centers are fully rejected, but talks continue within the framework of the procedures envisaged in the Additional Protocol,” Araqchi told Iran’s state-run TV late May.

“The methods for implementing the Additional Protocol are among the issues of difference and we are discussing them,” he added.

Araqchi’s comments came after Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali 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 late last month.

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

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

Talks are underway among the delegations of the seven nations to draft the final deal.

FNA

R.S