Iran will not grant the International Atomic Energy Agency a second entry to the Parchin military base, the spokesman for Iran's Atomic Energy Organization said on Monday. "Parchin is a military base," Behrouz Kamalvandi said at a news conference in Tehran. "They [the IAEA] have been raising the issue for years. It is important for their propaganda. They know we will not allow them to visit the Parchin base again, but they think raising the issue benefits the propaganda." "In a meeting between President Rouhani and [IAEA chief] Yukiya Amano, President Rouhani reminded him that 'when you requested to visit the facilities in Parchin for the first time, I said yes, you can go to Parchin and everywhere else, and you can collect samples. But it can be allowed just for once as it is a military base. A second visit will not happen.'" Western intelligence agencies suspect that Iran carried out the research on certain explosive devices relating to nuclear weapons, and the IAEA requested to go into the site for inspection. On the other hand, Iran insists that Parchin is a regular military base and has nothing to do with nuclear activities. Meanwhile, a confidential IAEA report seen by Reuters on Monday shows that Iran has continued to meet its commitments under its November 2013 interim nuclear agreement with six world powers. The monthly update by the IAEA said Iran was not enriching uranium above a fissile concentration of 5 percent. It also said Iran had not made "any further advances" in its activities at two enrichment facilities and a heavy-water reactor under construction. In accordance with the November 2013 interim deal, Iran halted its most sensitive nuclear activity and took other steps in exchange for some easing of economic sanctions. The interim deal was negotiated to buy time for talks on a final settlement on Iran's nuclear program. After reaching a framework agreement in marathon talks in Switzerland earlier this month, the parties are trying to nail down the details of a final settlement by the end of June. The next round of talks starts this week in Vienna. U.S. Undersecretary of State Wendy Sherman, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and European Union political director Helga Schmid will conduct this session of talks. Hardening his rhetoric before the negotiations resume, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told military commanders on Sunday that the United States had created the "myth" of nuclear weapons to portray Iran as a threat.
Credit: Reuters
Kamalvandi said that Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, while serving as Iran's chief negotiator years ago, had allowed the IAEA to enter the Parchin military facilities for inspection.
Iran refuses IAEA inspectors second entry to Parchin base
"We will not allow them [the International Atomic Energy Agency] to visit the Parchin base again, but they think raising the issue benefits the propaganda," says Iranian official • Confidential IAEA report shows Iran abiding by terms of 2013 agreement.
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