Iran’s defense minister on Monday said Tehran would not allow international inspectors to enter the Islamic Republic’s military sites, in comments that appear at odds with the terms of a landmark nuclear deal struck with world powers last week.

Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email
and never miss our top stories   Free Sign up!

Brigadier General Hossein Dehghan also said the nuclear deal does not limit its missile development, which he maintained Tehran would “resolutely” pursue.

The comments came on the heels of Iran’s Foreign Ministry saying the UN could not ban Iranian ballistic missile development under the deal and a top military commander rejecting the UN’s adoption of the groundbreaking accord earlier in the day.

Taken together, the comments shed doubt on Tehran’s willingness to keep to some of the concessions agreed to in the pact, which has been touted in the West as the best way to keep Iran from developing a nuclear weapon and was endorsed unanimously in the United Nations Security Council Monday.
Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan (YouTube screen capture)
Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan (YouTube screen capture)

Dehghan “underlined that Tehran will not allow any foreigner to discover Iran’s defensive and missile capabilities by inspecting the country’s military sites,” according to a report by the semi-official Fars News Agency.

Under the Iran agreement, the International Atomic Energy Agency can request access to any sites, should they produce evidence of a violation of the nuclear deal. Inspectors must “provide Iran the basis for such concerns and request clarification,” according to the Vienna agreement.

If Iran’s explanations do not adequately assuage the IAEA’s concerns, the agency “may request access to such locations” to make sure no illicit activity has occurred there. “The IAEA will provide Iran the reasons for access in writing and will make available relevant information,” the deal stipulates.

Should the Iranians and the inspectors prove unable to “reach satisfactory arrangements,” Tehran will resolve any concerns “through necessary means agreed between Iran and the IAEA,” the deal reads. If there is still no agreement two weeks after the initial inquiry is filed, a so-called Joint Commission — consisting of the six world powers and Iran itself — will vote on how to resolve the crisis. Altogether, the process could take up to 24 days.

On Sunday, US Secretary of State John Kerry defended the delay, saying the idea of “anytime,anywhere inspections” were a fantasy.

“It’s called ‘managed access.’ It’s under the IAEA. Everyone understands it and the intelligence community has made it clear to us, as they did before we signed on to this deal, that we would be able to know what they are doing during that intervening time,” he said.

Dehghan also stressed that Iran’s missile activity was not bound by the nuclear deal, which lifts punishing economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for curbs on enrichment and increased access to nuclear sites by atomic inspectors.

“Missile-related issues have never been on agenda of the nuclear talks and the Islamic system will resolutely implement its programs in this field,” Dehghan said in a meeting with defense ministry officials.

The defense minister slammed the US for its “boastful remarks” surrounding the accord, and said Washington lacked insight on Iran.

“The US officials make boastful remarks and imagine that they can impose anything on the Iranian nation because they lack a proper knowledge of the Iranian nation,” he stated.
Earlier Monday, Iran said its ballistic missile program was not connected to the UN Security Council resolution adopted Monday, which endorses its July 14 nuclear accord with world powers and calls for a phased lifting of sanctions.