London- Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh said Monday that foreign countries will never be allowed to inspect Iran’s military centers.
Asked by reporters about recent media reports that the US administration is pushing for inspection of Iranian military sites, General Hajizadeh said, “The answer is clear: we will not give them such a permission.”
His comments came after AP quoted senior US officials as saying in late July that the Trump administration is pushing for inspections of “suspicious Iranian military sites,” either to prove that Iran was violating the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) deal or force it to refuse, which could cause the agreement to collapse.
Elsewhere in his comments, the top commander said the IRGC supports the Iranian administration to help it confront the United States’ excessive demands.
He also warned that the US is seeking to repeat the Libya scenario in Iran, trying to “disarm” Iran with different tactics such as imposing sanctions, mounting pressure and waging psychological warfare.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in his speech at the ceremony to ratify the presidency of Rouhani, called on the government to stand against the policy of the US administration.
Hajizadeh’s comment comes few days after US President Donald Trump has signed a sanctions law against Iran, Russia and North Korea; the section on Iran includes tough sanctions against the Revolutionary Guards.
For his part, Supreme Leader’s Advisor for Foreign Affairs Ali Akbar Velayati has angrily reacted to reports that Trump is seeking access for inspections of “suspicious” military sites in Iran.
“Under no circumstances Americans will be allowed to inspect Iranian military sites”, Velayati said on Saturday.
“They (American inspectors) are neither allowed, nor would they dare to violate Iran’s security domain,” Velayati, a former foreign minister, retorted.
Furthermore, Velayati maintained that such “empty” US remarks would only “discredit” Washington on the international scene.
Notably, AP had mentioned IAEA and not American inspectors. Why Velayati is emphasizing “American” inspectors, is not clear. Also, the US has not officially demanded new inspections.
Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat is the world’s premier pan-Arab daily newspaper, printed simultaneously each day on four continents in 14 cities. Launched in London in 1978, Asharq Al-Awsat has established itself as the decisive publication on pan-Arab and international affairs, offering its readers in-depth analysis and exclusive editorials, as well as the most comprehensive coverage of the entire Arab world.
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