Disagreements emerged Wednesday between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency on whether the agency's 'additional protocol' allows Iran's military sites to be inspected.
The International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Director General Yukiya Amano said on Tuesday that a final nuclear agreement would give the agency access to inspect Iran's military sites.
He said Iran agreed to implement the IAEA's 'Additional Protocol' when it accepted the framework deal reached by Iran and the P5+1 countries on April 2 in the Swiss city of Lausanne.
However, an Iranian official responded to Amano's comments, claiming this was not included in the Swiss statement, and added that the IAEA 'is only responsible for technical issues and providing verification.'
'IAEA is only responsible for confirming that the measures set at the final agreement are implemented properly,' Ali-Asghar Najafi, Iran's envoy to the IAEA said Wednesday night.
'For instance, it has to confirm the number of active centrifuges in Natanz,' he said at a televised program in Iran, according to Iran's news agency IRNA.
The Deputy Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Behrouz Kamalvandi also stated Wednesday that the additional protocol of the Non-Proliferation Treaty does not oblige its parties to allow inspections at their military sites, noting that Iran has not yet approved the protocol.
'Amano has not dictated any obligation for Iran, but rather presented his own subjective interpretation of the Additional Protocol, about which we have our reservations,' Mehr news agency reported the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting saying.
This is not the first time Iran and P5+1 countries disagree on the framework deal reached on April 2.
The sides' interpretations of the deal also varied on timing and scope of the removal of sanctions on Iran after the possibility of reaching a successful final nuclear agreement, which has a June 30 deadline.
By Ovunc Kutlu
Anadolu Agency
ovunc.kutlu@aa.com.tr