.
.
.
West Demands Iran Open Up Military Site to Nuclear Inspectors
Iranian Media Says Visit Likely, But Envoy Says Demand 'Ridiculous'
Western nations are again reiterating their demands for Iran to open up the Parchin military base to IAEA nuclear inspectors, following reports from the Iranian media earlier this week that such a visit was likely to be approved.
Under its international safeguards agreement Iran is under no obligation to open up the military site, since it is not a declared part of its civilian nuclear program, and beyond vague speculation about “explosives tests” there is no evidence that it has anything to do with anything nuclear in nature. Iran has previously balked at opening up random military sites as part of IAEA inspections, fearing it is being used as an excuse to spy on the nation’s conventional arsenal. Iran’s envoy to the IAEA has termed the allegations “ridiculous.”
The visit seems unlikely to be of much value to Iran at any rate, since the IAEA, already anticipating not finding anything at the site, says it is “possible” Iran has already removed the putative evidence they’d hoped to find.
So while the P5+1 is insisting that they are still open to diplomacy the group’s Western member nations seem unlikely to accept any deal that is liable to arise from negotiations with Iran, and will use either a visit to Parchin or the lack of a visit as “proof” that they need to continue imposing new sanctions on Iran.
