[108850] Qalibaf rejects reports on opening damaged nuclear sites to international inspection

Tensions surrounding the inspection of nuclear sites in Iran

The Speaker of the Majlis (Iranian Parliament), Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, responded sharply to reports regarding an Iranian agreement to allow inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) access to nuclear sites damaged in attacks, calling them "untrue" in a report by Vahid Online.

According to Qalibaf, in accordance with parliamentary legislation and the directives of the Supreme National Security Council, the inspectors' access is limited exclusively to the Bushehr power plant and the Tehran research reactor. DW Persian notes that Qalibaf emphasized that any claim regarding granting access to the Fordo, Natanz, or Isfahan sites is false.

Conversely, Al Arabiya Persian recalled the statements of Rafael Grossi, the Director General of the IAEA, who had previously indicated that there is an agreement requiring Iran to allow inspection, although he did not specify which sites are included. Iran International, which is identified with a critical position toward the Iranian regime, quotes analyst Rouhollah Rahim-Pour, who claims that Qalibaf's words constitute a political strategy designed to send contradictory messages to the parties involved in the negotiations.

Meanwhile, Qalibaf used his television appearance to attack his domestic political rivals and called on them "not to chew on Trump's words" so as not to interfere with diplomatic efforts. Morteza Kazemian, a member of the Iran International staff, described these positions as "contradictory", as he claims Qalibaf acknowledges the need for diplomacy with the US to improve the economy, but in practice blocks the path to a regulated nuclear agreement.