Interviews with Nuclear Scientists and Officials

Rooz Online

New revelations have emerged regarding Iran’s nuclear talks even as officials of the Islamic republic of Iran continue to stress that they will not allow inspectors from the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN nuclear watchdog) to interview the country’s nuclear scientists.

In the most recent development, the secretary of Iran’s national Security Council Ali Shamkhani revealed through a televised interview that a list of 23 individuals had been submitted by the West to Iran whom they wanted to interview on the nuclear program. He added that the names on the list were not confined to nuclear scientists but included state officials. He said his name was on top of the list and added, “It is not clear what questions they have. Our negotiators have not accepted this request.” He then turned to those inside Iran who oppose President Hassan Rouhani’s nuclear diplomacy with the six world powers and said, “Can we still inform our people? If you have any protests direct them at the obstructionists (i.e., foreign powers) rather than the negotiators.” In another part of the interview he once again repeated what other officials often say. “Regarding the nuclear issue, the Islamic republic of Iran is not pursuing anything other than its peaceful use. They should be after solving the technical issues rather than embarking on national humiliation.”

At the same time, a presiding member of parliament Mehrdad Bazrpash, who is also a member of the hardline Principlist faction that generally is critical of Rouhani’s nuclear talks, revealed a few more names on the interview list. “They intend to interrogate the secretary of the national security council and the military commanders. But which sane mind in the world would prescribe this? Just as we had said in the past, the nuclear issue is just a pretext to intervene in the defense and military fields. The dignity of the president and Mr. Zarif will not allow our military commanders to be interrogated,” he said. Bazrpash mentioned the names of Shamkhani, Fereidun Abbasi (former head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization) and some others from the previous administration including Kamran Daneshjoo.

Bazrpash continued, “Even though members of the negotiating team have given a categorical response to these excessive American demands, the Majlis, on behalf of the Iranian nation will not tolerate such unprecedented humiliation and will never allow the Americans to even dream of interviewing or interrogating Iranian officials or scientists.”

He then turned his attention to the internal critics of President Hassan Rouhani’s nuclear diplomacy and said, “It is now clear that the criticism over the Geneva agreement that has been raised by the concerned and critics was legitimate. When you exchange your nuclear assets for nothing then you can expect such conditions for lifting the sanctions.”

A day after these remarks, ayatollah Khamenei’s senior advisor on international affairs Ali Akbar Velayati also got involved in the debate and told a reporter from the state-run national radio network, “I do not know about the list of 23 names, but it is possible that my name too is on the list. I do not know. Their purpose in this request is not benign but satanic.” He continued, “The first impression over this demand is that it is to humiliate our nuclear scientists. In fact what they want to do is to interrogate them. If they undertake a humiliating step then we have to reciprocate and humiliate them in return.”

From news published by Iranian sources it appears that the Western party to the nuclear talks wants to talk with “individuals associated with the nuclear dossier.” The interview request is not limited to nuclear scientists but includes political and military officials as well.

The issue of interviewing Iranian scientists was first mentioned by Majlis representative Mohammad Saleh Jowkar last June who spoke of “American excessive demands about interrogating individuals associated with the nuclear problem” and added, “This American act is a humiliation of the Iranian nation.” He also said that “associated individuals range from the secretary of the national security council to scientists and knowledgeable individuals on the subject. The purpose of interrogating them is espionage and to identify them. The Majlis will not allow such interrogation not only by Americans but by anyone.”

Following Jowkar, the head of the Majlis national security committee, Alaedin Borujerdi also on the subject and said, interviewing individuals related to the nuclear issue or visiting sensitive sites was a red line not to be crossed.” He continued, “Inspectors from the IAEA do not have a good record with the Islamic republic. They have broken the confidentiality of information in the past disregarded the IAEA standards in this so that their inspectors cannot be easily trusted.”

Ayatollah Khamenei had not said anything on the subject prior to this but had mentioned during a speech at the Revolutionary Guards Officer’s College that the West had made new requests about site visits. “They have said that they must come and interview our scientists. This means interrogating them. We will not allow foreigners to visit our military sites or interview our scientists in any sensitive and important field.

Foreign minister Zarif had however a different view on this. According to him Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s administration had allowed this in the past, and added, “Our scientists, university professors and researchers had been interviewed in the past and ayatollah Khamenei had not objected to those. Following this, Ali Shamkhani has now revealed on national television that the interviews were not limited to nuclear scientists, because if this was the case this would have taken place without any fuss like it had in the past.