Iran does not intend to allow the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to inspect nuclear sites bombed by Israel and the United States. This was declared by Tehran’s Foreign Ministry, while on the maritime front the Iranian chief negotiator claims control of the Strait of Hormuz and announces the release of 12 billion dollars in frozen assets.
Tehran: «No inspection of damaged plants»
“We have not had any meetings with the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency and we do not expect the agency to inspect Iranian nuclear facilities damaged by American and Zionist military aggression,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said at a news conference.
Hormuz «open», but «managed by us»
On maritime traffic, Iran maintains both openness and claims to sovereignty. The Strait of Hormuz would be “completely open to commercial ships”, in accordance with the preliminary agreement with the United States: this was assured by the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Ali Bahreini, according to whom boats would not have to pay for the route, at least for 60 days. Tehran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, was more clear-cut: «The management of the Strait of Hormuz will never return to what it was before the war – he said, according to Iranian state media – international norms will be respected, but Iran will manage the Strait of Hormuz».
The talks in Switzerland and the 12 billion released
The statements come at the end of technical talks between Iran and the United States in Switzerland, which concluded – according to Iranian media – with the establishment of four working groups on the cessation of sanctions, nuclear affairs, reconstruction and monitoring. Ghalibaf also reportedly reported an agreement with Washington for the release of 12 billion dollars of frozen Iranian assets and the activation of a direct coordination line for navigation in the Strait.
Trump insists: Tehran has accepted nuclear inspections
Donald Trump has denied that Iran has refused inspections of its nuclear sites. “Despite their protests and false statements to the contrary, combined with the pounding noise of fake news, which is doing everything possible to make the US victory as small and insignificant as possible, Iran has fully and completely accepted nuclear inspections at the highest level long into the future (indefinitely!!!),” the American president wrote on Truth.
«This will guarantee «nuclear transparency». If they had not accepted this, there would have been no further negotiations!’ he insisted.