Iran FM rules out interviewing nuclear scientists

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the Islamic Republic will not allow any foreign interviews with its nuclear scientists as part of a potential final deal with the P5+1 group of countries.

On Monday, Zarif pointed to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei’s opposition to inspections of Iran’s military sites and having interviews with the country's nuclear scientists, saying “the Iranian negotiating team will definitely abide, to the letter, by the leader’s views on all issues pertaining to the nuclear negotiations.”  

On May 20, Ayatollah Khamenei said that foreigners’ call for having interviews with Iranian nuclear scientists means “interrogation” and emphasized that he would not allow aliens to speak with Iranian scientists in the nuclear domain and “other sensitive majors.”

The leader also said that Iran would not allow any inspections by foreigners of its military sites.

The Iranian foreign minister, however, described the issue of interviewing Iran’s nuclear scientists as a “marginal” subject which “has nothing to do" with the the ongoing negotiations with the P5+1 group.

During the past ten years, Zarif said, Iran has taken measures to remove the ambiguities surrounding its nuclear program.

He said that during Iran’s previous administration, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) conducted several interviews with the country’s nuclear scientists in that regard.

No ambiguities were found, he said, adding the West is seeking pretext to put Tehran under pressure.

Iran and the P5+1 group - the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China plus Germany - are currently working to reach a final accord on Iran’s nuclear program by the end of June.