Final N-deal within reach, says Rohani

But Iran won’t allow N-inspections to jeopardise state secrets; spying fears prompt smartphone ban for officials

tehran — Iran’s President Hassan Rohani says a final nuclear deal is “within reach” as Iran and world powers face a June 30 deadline for an agreement.

Rohani told a Press conference on Saturday that negotiations between Iran and the six-nation group — the US, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany — is making progress, although some gaps still remain.

Rohani indicated that Iran will allow inspections of its nuclear facilities but said the Islamic republic won’t allow its “secrets” to be jeopardised under the cover of international inspections.

“Iran will absolutely not allow its national secrets to fall into the hands of foreigners through the Additional Protocol or any other means,” Rohani said.

Rohani did not rule out implementing such an additional protocol, noting that other countries that are signatories to the nuclear nonproliferation treaty have done so without any problem. But he insisted that Iran should not face especially intrusive measures.

Rohani said there are still “many differences over details” of a nuclear deal Iran and world powers are trying to conclude by June 30.

“The general framework that the Islamic Republic of Iran wants is accepted by the P5+1 group but there are still many differences in the details that must be addressed,” Rohani said.

“We are very serious in the negotiations. We do not seek to gain time, but at the same time we are not captives of time. We are not in a hurry but we try to use every opportunity to reach a good deal,” he added.

Rohani criticised Western countries which he said “haggle” permanently on the terms of the nuclear deal.

“In a meeting we come to a framework agreement with the other party but the next time they start to haggle, causing delays in the negotiation,” said Rohani.

Meanwhile, Iranian officials with access to classified information will be forbidden from using smartphones in connection with their work because of fears of espionage, a security official said on Saturday.

Such phones are not secure as “data entered on to them is backed up, cannot be removed and can be accessed”, Brigadier General Gholamreza Jalali told Isna news agency, alluding to smartphone applications and manufacturers.

Jalali, head of Iran’s Civil Defence Organisation, said the new rule, which is pending final approval, would mean officials “should use other phones for work that involves sensitive information”.

There is nothing to stop such workers using smartphones in their private lives, based on what he said.

The restrictions, however, come after reports that nuclear talks between Iran and world powers which face a June 30 deadline were compromised by cyber hacking. —