Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday ruled out allowing nuclear inspectors to visit military sites or to question scientists if Tehran strikes a long-sought deal with world powers.
“We have already said that we will not allow any inspections of military sites by foreigners,” the official IRNA news agency quoted him as saying.
“They also say that we must allow interviews with nuclear scientists. This is interrogation. I will not allow foreigners to come and talk to scientists who have advanced the science to this level,” Khamenei said.
Speaking at a graduation ceremony for military cadets, he said that no “intelligent government” would allow such a thing and “excessive demands” must be resisted.
Khamenei, who has the final word on all policy matters in Iran, said Tehran would refuse to allow “the insolent enemy” to talk to its scientists, adding that other countries hide the identities of their nuclear experts.
Several Iranian atomic scientists were assassinated between 2010 and 2012 in attacks Tehran blamed on Israel and the US.
The United States as well as Britain, China, France, Russia and Germany are in the midst of negotiations with Tehran to finalise a deal by June 30 that would prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, in exchange for an easing of crippling economic sanctions.
For several weeks, political and technical experts have been trying to finalise the terms of a final agreement. They were due to gather again on Wednesday in Vienna for talks.
