Iran has accepted international inspections of military sites under its management, Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told the parliament, according to a report from the Fars news agency on Sunday.

Iran has �accepted inspection of military sites,� under the terms of the International Atomic Energy Agency�s additional protocol, Javad Karimi-Ghodousi, a member of parliament�s national security and foreign policy committee, cited Araghchi as saying in a closed parliament session. He added that �this inspection will be seriously managed.�

Access by the United Nations nuclear agency to some of Iran�s military sites, which are deemed suspect by the U.S. and its allies, has been a sticking point in the country�s negotiations with six world powers over its nuclear program.

Iran and China, France, Russia, the U.K., the U.S. and Germany are seeking to reach a final, comprehensive nuclear deal by June 30 after sealing a framework agreement between the two sides in April.

Araghchi didn�t elaborate on what this would mean in practical terms, Fars said. The IAEA�s additional protocol is intended to provide greater access to check for any clandestine nuclear work.
A U.S. State Department �fact sheet� published last month stipulates Iran would be required to grant the UN nuclear agency access to any �suspicious sites.� Iranian officials have said they don�t agree with elements of the U.S. position.

Speaking last week, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reiterated that �foreigners� shouldn�t get access to his nation�s military sites as a national security measure.

Iran has declined a request by world powers to interview several of its nuclear scientists, Araghchi was also cited as saying, according to Fars.

By Bloomberg