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Khamenei's Nuclear Instructions: Public Versus Private
(Washington Institute for Near East Policy) Mehdi Khalaji - On May 23, Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his deputy Abbas Araqchi were questioned by members of parliament during an off-the-record session of the Majlis. Leaked statements from the session show that what Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei says in public about the ongoing nuclear talks with the P5+1 may differ from the private instructions he is giving to Iranian negotiators. Araqchi said that the Iranian team will accept the enhanced verification measures called for under the International Atomic Energy Agency's Additional Protocol, including inspection of Iran's military facilities - provided that these powers are not exploited by foreign agents. The leak shows Zarif saying, "Access would be controlled....If IAEA inspectors claim that there is a suspicious activity in a military facility...we take the inspectors there blindfolded until they get to the specific point they want to see. We would cover the areas we don't want them to see...this is controlled access." The writer is a fellow at The Washington Institute.