Abbas Araghchi. The key negotiator for Iran in talks with Western powers says that restrictions on missile production will be lifted along with the sanctions. Photo: Kai Mör/Wikimedia Commons.

The Deputy for Legal and International Affairs of the Iranian Foreign Ministry, told Iran’s Assembly of Experts on Thursday that restrictions on the country’s missile program would be lifted along with the sanctions, the Islamic Ideology Dissemination Organization-owned Mehr News Agency reported.

Abbas Araghchi, who also served as Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator in talks with the P5+1, made his remarks during a briefing on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to Iran’s Assembly of Experts, a deliberative body of Islamic theologians charged with electing or removing the Supreme Leader of Iran, and supervising his activities while he is in power to ensure they comply with the ideals of the Islamic Revolution.

Araghchi assured the Assembly that Iran’s negotiating team had adhered to the red lines laid down by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei during talks with Western powers. “The Islamic Republic of Iran, overall, has achieved what it was seeking in the negotiations, while protecting its national glory, imposing its will on the powers,” Araghchi asserted.

“We worked hard and succeeded in fixing the unalienable right of the country to enrichment which is a grave red line for the system; enrichment would never be suspended even for a single day; on the other hand, the P5+1 abandoned their initial demand that Iran should have a ‘zero’ enrichment program,” Araghchi said.

He continued that Iran would “hopefully move to industrial level enrichment by the next 15 years; as the text of JCPOA clearly states, the industrial and commercial enrichment is recognized by powers and the R and D will move toward staggering 1 million SWU (Seperative Work Unit) with exploiting the capabilities of IR6 and IR8 centrifuges.”

He continued,“Removing economic sanctions in the first step is the second red line; with sanctions removed, no restrictions would affect our missile program, and restrictions will be lifted in a gradual manner as well.”

He added that the United Nations had now recognized, through a Security Council Resolution, Iran’s right to enrich uranium and possess a nuclear program, which he called, “peaceful.” However, in return, he said,  “We accepted some restrictions to our program, albeit long but not permanent limitations.”

Araghchi also moved to assure the Assembly of Experts that the increased inspections should not be a source of concern, unless there were “hidden motives,” behind them. But, he said, the necessary arrangements had already been made with the military to take the proper precautions and “minimize the possibility of abuse.”