Reports of IAEA access to targeted nuclear sites 'false': Iran Parl. speaker

Iran's Parliament speaker and top negotiator rejects reports of access by inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to the country's nuclear sites that were targeted during unprovoked American-Israeli aggression.

Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf made the remarks during a televised interview aired on Wednesday, asserting that access to those facilities remains restricted under Iranian law.

Inspectors are currently permitted to visit only two nuclear facilities, namely the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in southern Iran and the Tehran Research Reactor, the top legislator said.

"Access has been limited exclusively to these two sites, and we remain committed to that arrangement," he stated.

Matters concerning access to the targeted facilities have been addressed through relevant legislation and decisions made by Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), he said, stating that the Islamic Republic's conduct in the area is, therefore, governed by those decisions.

Remarks on talks

Addressing talks with the United States, Qalibaf said the process remains confined to the 14 clauses contained in the memorandum of understanding that was recently signed by the two sides with the aim of ending the cycle arising out of the latest bout of unwarranted American-Israeli aggression.

"The United States cannot add a single clause" beyond those 14 provisions, he remarked.

The official also said Washington had previously maintained that it would not release funds belonging to Iran, but later agreed, following travel by Iranian officials to Qatar and Doha's mediation efforts, to release $6 billion in Iranian assets and undertake the release of an additional $6 billion.

He added that the first round of talks on implementation of the MoU in Zurich accelerated the process of unfreezing Iranian assets and led to the suspension of sanctions targeting the Islamic Republic's oil and petrochemical sales.

'Ready for both war and diplomacy'

Referring to a message from Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei concerning the issue of the talks, Qalibaf noted how Ayatollah Khamenei has underlined fulfillment of the conditions outlined in the MoU.

"Had those conditions not been met, we would have fought," he said, stressing, "I stand ready both to fight and to pursue diplomacy."

'Enemies only understand language of force'

Qalibaf said Iran should use the current period to modernize its Armed Forces and strengthen its economy, underscoring that the country must attend the talks from a position of strength.

"If we are weak on this path, we will be humiliated. But today, through the determination of the Iranian people, we have answered the call of the martyred Leader and demonstrated that Iran is strong," he noted, referring to insistence by the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on the nation's preserving and reinforcing its strength.

The official also said "avenging the martyred Leader means the liberation of [the holy occupied city of] al-Quds," adding that Iran's adversaries understand only "the language of force."

Concluding his remarks, Qalibaf stressed the importance of national unity.

"Today, more than anything else, unity is what matters most to us, and true unity is embodied in the sacred solidarity around Leader of the Islamic Revolution."

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