Iran Not to Allow Any Foreign Access to Military Sites: Velayati

[Insight]

Iran Not to Allow Any Foreign Access to Military Sites: Velayati

June 08, 2015 - 18:41
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran will never let any foreigner have access to its military sites, the head of the Strategic Research Center of Iran's Expediency Council said, referring to the West's call for that kind of access under a possible comprehensive nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers.





"Visits (by foreigners) to the Islamic Republic's military sites are forbidden on the basis of the Supreme Leader's very specific viewpoints," Ali Akbar Velayati told reporters in Tehran on Monday.
"We won't permit any stranger, either American or non-American, to visit the Islamic Republic's military and sensitive centers," he underlined.
His remarks came after Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei said in May that Iran will not allow the inspection of its military sites.
The Supreme Leader ruled out any request for interviews with Tehran’s nuclear scientists, and described it as an instance of "interrogation".
"I would not let foreigners come (here) and talk to the Iranian nation’s dear scientists... who have expanded this wide knowledge to this stage," Imam Khamenei explained.
Iran and Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) have been negotiating to hammer out a lasting accord that would end more than a decade of impasse over Tehran's peaceful nuclear program.
On April 2, the two sides reached a framework nuclear agreement after more than a week of intensive negotiations in Lausanne, Switzerland, with both sides committed to push for a final, comprehensive accord until the end of June.

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[Insight]

Khamenei has ruled out inspections. IRGC generals have ruled out any inspections, and now Khamenei's assistant Velayati has again emphasized that there will be no inspections. A deal without inspections is like a peanut butter sandwich without peanut butter.

In the Iran-US talks, Iran has been the stronger negotiator. They utilize the threat of walking away from the talks to coerce the US into accepting their positions. They also use Khamenei's red lines as means to give no inch to the US. The US has been accepting Khamenei's red lines, and negotiates within its parameters. Yet, in doing this, they come up against almost unified opposition in the Senate and Congress, as well by the powerful Israeli lobby. The US has been a very poor negotiator, telegraphing their position that they want to avoid a military confrontation with Iran at all costs. The reason the US wants to avoid a military confrontation with Iran is because it would be a conventional war unlike the military conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. Iran is a modern military power in possession of ballistic missiles. This explains why diplomacy is being exhausted at all costs.

It is my opinion that Obama will drag the talks out as long as possible until his term is over, and leave the Iran issue to the next President if he is unable to get a deal with Iran. So far, Iran is not budging, and has increased their demands.

The US is in a weak position, between a rock and a hard place. In trying to avoid military conflict with Iran, they appear weak and desperate. In trying to push back against Israeli pressure, they push Israel into reserving its right for a unilateral strike on Iran, a scenario that also drags the US into conflict with Iran. Aside from drawing out the talks for as long as possible, there appears to be no other alternative helpful for US interests.