November 10, 2003	Monday	Ramazan 14, 1424

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TEHRAN, Nov 9: Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will not be granted access to sites in Iran that are not related to its nuclear programme, the country’s top national security official said on Sunday.

Hassan Rowhani, who as secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council is charged with the nuclear dossier, said Iran would remind the UN’s nuclear watchdog of the limits of inspections when it send a letter next week stating its intention to sign the additional protocol to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which carries with it a tougher inspections regime.

“Next week Iran will give a letter on the additional protocol.

“In this letter we will state that the IAEA will not be permitted to enter sites that are not linked to Iran’s nuclear activities,” Rowhani told state television in an interview.

The IAEA in September asked Iran to do three main things before a Nov 20 board meeting: fully disclose its nuclear programme, agree to tougher inspections and suspend the enrichment of uranium that could be used to make an atomic bomb.

Iran agreed to comply with the demands on Oct 21, when the British, French and German foreign ministers visited Tehran to seek a way out of the dispute over the country’s bid to generate nuclear power — seen by the US as a cover for secret weapons development.

Although Rowhani appeared to be attaching conditions to the application of the additional protocol, a diplomat close to the discussions emphasised there was no need for alarm that Iran was making some kind of U-turn.

“Iran can express reservations, but the text of the additional protocol is standard,” said the diplomat, who asked not to be named.

The source explained that once Iran signed the text, it would only be subject to unlimited inspections of declared facilities related to its nuclear activities. As for suspect sites, he pointed out that the IAEA would have to respect a different procedure to securing visits.

Iran raised concerns over visits to military and holy sites in the Islamic republic, citing national security and sovereignty concerns, when the three European ministers visited.

“It’s not going to be like Iraq, with UNSCOM (arms inspectors) kicking down doors and this kind of thing,” said the diplomat. “And Iran is entitled to remind the IAEA of this when it send the letter. But there is no question of a special text just for Iran.”

URANIUM ENRICHMENT: Iran will in the coming days implement its pledge to suspend uranium enrichment activities in line with demands from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a foreign ministry spokesman said on Sunday.

“In the course of the coming days, Iran will implement and announce the suspension of uranium enrichment,” Hamid Reza Asefi told reporters, without giving further details.

A suspension of enrichment activities is seen as crucial by the IAEA as it tries to fully uncover the Islamic republic’s nuclear programme.—AFP