No Canadian nuclear inspectors allowed in Iran: Deputy FM

On July 29, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh announced “a new chapter of cooperation” with the French energy company Total after a meeting in Tehran with France’s Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius.

Iran will not allow American or Canadian inspectors working for the United Nations nuclear watchdog to visit its nuclear facilities, an official said in remarks broadcast by state TV on Thursday. “It is true that in recent years, for reasons that everyone knows, the ties have cooled but now thanks to the nuclear deal, things will be able to change”, he said.

Fabius had said that he expected talks “on all subjects” during this visit and was quoted by Iranian broadcaster IRIB as saying, “As major powers, Iran and France both have a responsibility to promote peace and stability in the region”.

A day before Fabius’ arrival, Rouhani received here another guest from the European continent – EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini.

The French foreign minister arrived in the Iranian capital, Tehran, on Wednesday to hold talks with the country’s high-ranking officials.

Obama, his Cabinet and other allies are making the case that the deal calling on Iran to curb its nuclear program in exchange for billions of dollars in sanctions relief is the best possible way to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon.

The Iranian minister said the implementation of the so-called Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) will pave the way for strengthening relations in transportation, energy and manufacturing cars with France.

He also hit out at Fabius over French support for now executed dictator Saddam Hussein’s Iraq during its 1980-88 war with Iran and over his “hard” position during the negotiations for this month’s nuclear deal.

The French diplomat was widely seen as the “bad policeman” and even accused by Iranian hard-liners of being a “Zionist lackey” who at one point reportedly threatened to derail the emerging accord. But each meeting also emphasized the broader opening the agreement established for more normalized diplomatic and economic ties with Iran.

Numerous blood scandal victims’ relatives oppose Fabius’ visit, blaming him for the spread of AIDS in Iran, according to the semiofficial Iranian news agency Fars.

In 1991, doctor and journalist Anne-Marie Casteret revealed that France knowingly distributed blood contaminated with HIV to hemophiliacs, including those in Iran.