In Case of A Deal, Access to Iran's N. Sites Will Be 'Managed', Negotiator Says
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – After a possible deal on Tehran's peaceful nuclear program, access to Iran's nuclear sites will be allowed only within the framework of the Additional Protocol of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), a top Iranian negotiator said.
If an agreement is reached between Iran and world powers, based on which the Additional Protocol would be implemented, any access given to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors will be "managed", said Seyed Abbas Araqchi, also a deputy foreign minister.
He underlined that what the Additional Protocol entails is "managed access" to nuclear facilities and that "in our view, managed access does not mean visiting or inspection."
Araqchi further described the nuclear negotiations as "very difficult and complicated" but expressed the hope that the job will be done by the June 30 deadline "or even sooner".
The top Iranian diplomat made the remark upon arrival in Vienna, Austria, to attend a fresh round of nuclear talks between Iran and the Group 5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany).
The two sides will resume drafting the text of a final agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), on Thursday.
Iran and the Group 5+1 (alternatively known as the P5+1 or E3+3) have held several rounds of talks in recent months to hammer out a lasting accord that would end more than a decade of impasse over Tehran's civilian nuclear program.
On April 2, the two sides reached a framework nuclear agreement in Lausanne, Switzerland, with both sides committed to push for a final deal until the end of June.
