Iran parliament passes bill that rejects inspections of military sites
The Iranian parliament, or Majlis, passed a bill detailing what the semi-official news organ Press TV calls Iranian "nuclear rights." Those rights include the refusal to allow inspections of military sites, the immediate and complete lifting of sanctions after the Security Council approves the deal, a refusal to allow the IAEA to interview nuclear scientists, and the ability of Iran to improve its centrifuge technology.
These "rights" directly contradict administration talking points on the framework deal issued in April.
"In line with safeguarding national interests [of Iran] and in compliance with the Safeguards Agreement of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, any outcome of nuclear negotiations with the P5+1 countries shall be valid as long as" three requirements are met, read the text of the bill.
It said any agreement with the six powers should include the complete and immediate removal of all sanctions against Iran “on the day Iran starts fulfilling its obligations."
Iranian lawmakers added that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will be only permitted to "conduct conventional inspections" of Iran’s nuclear facilities within the framework of the Safeguards Agreement, noting that access to Iran’s "military, security and sensitive non-nuclear sites, documents and scientists is forbidden."
The bill also calls on the Iranian government not to accept any restrictions on acquisition of peaceful nuclear technology, research and development.
Addressing the session, Iran’s Majlis speaker, Ali Larijani, said the bill has been amended to give a free hand to Iranian nuclear negotiating team within the framework of criteria set by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and the Supreme National Security Council.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on June 13 that the achievements of his administration in safeguarding the nuclear rights of the Islamic Republic are a big victory for the Iranian nation.
Addressing a press conference in Tehran, Rouhani added that no world country currently doubts Iran’s right to the enrichment of uranium which is the biggest achievement in safeguarding Iran’s nuclear rights.
Iran and the P5+1 countries – the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia plus Germany – are holding extensive talks to finalize the text of a possible deal over Tehran’s nuclear program by June 30.
At least now we know how much the U.S. must grovel in order to get a nuclear deal. There's actually nothing new in the "nuclear rights" passed by the Majlis except perhaps the refusal to allow interviewing scientists. This is key because one of the big sticking points right now is forcing Iran to come clean about its past nuclear activities. Obviously, talking to the nuclear scientists who worked on the project in its early years would be the best way to flesh out what the Iranians were doing.
As for the inspection regime, President Obama promised at the time the framework deal was agreed to that the IAEA would have access to any "suspicious" site. Without access to military installations, the inspection regime isn't worth a tinker's damn.
And the administration continues to say that sanctions will only be lifted over several years as the nuclear deal goes on. Iran is insisting now that the sanctions be lifted immediately after the Security Council approves the agreement.
Ordinarily, these conditions would be deal-breakers. But never underestimate the capacity of President Obama and Secretary Kerry to cave in to Iranian demands. They may massage the language a bit, but in the end, in order to get a deal, they will give the Iranians everything they want.