Iran to refuse IAEA access to nuke cameras' record

Tehran: Iran said on Sunday that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will no longer have access to the records from the surveillance cameras on Tehran's nuclear activities.

Iran's position was made known by the country's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf through state TV, which signalled dwindling room for the US and western powers to reach terms with Iran.

"Regarding this, and based on the expiration of the three-month deadline, definitely the IAEA will not have the right to access images from May 22" Mr Qalibaf was quoted by news agency AP as saying.

AP also cited that hours later, a website Nournews, seen as close to Iran's Supreme National Security Council quoted an anonymous official suggesting that Tehran's deal with IAEA could be extended 'another month'.

On February 23, Iran halted the implementation of the Additional Protocol to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) according to the SAPCS that mandates the country's executive branch to stop implementing the additional protocol, as the US sanctions were not lifted.

"We are determined to implement the law of Strategic Action Plan to Counter Sanctions (SAPCS) according to (Parliament's) approvals," Xinhua news agency quoted Qalibaf as saying on Sunday.

Accordingly, Rafael Grossi, head of the IAEA, and Iranian officials agreed on a three-month monitoring time, during which the IAEA's cameras records could be kept by Iran in the hope that Tehran and the world major powers would start negotiations for the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and the removal of the sanctions.

Grossi currently talks with Iran on extending the monitoring arrangement as the negotiations between the country and world powers are underway in the Austrian capital of Vienna.

The question of images saved in the cameras leaves the issue unclear whether in-person inspections by IAEA inspectors would be allowed or not.

(With inputs from agencies)