Foreign diplomats to tour Iran nuclear sites as EU, Russia, China opt out

The tour comes ahead of the recommencement of talks about Iran's controversial nuclear programme between Iran and permanent members of the UN Security Council - including Germany.

Western nations have repeatedly voiced suspicions that Iran is attempting to build nuclear weapons – an allegation that Tehran has denied at every turn. Iran maintains that its nuclear programme is for peaceful civilian purposes.

While Iran keeps its nuclear sites under lock and key away from diplomat and media scrutiny and repeatedly denied requests by other countries to have their facilities inspected, ambassadors from Egypt, Algeria, Venezuela, Syria, and the Arab League will have the opportunity to tour two locations.

They will visit an enrichment facility at Natanz, and a heavy water reactor at Arak.

However the European Union turned down its invitation, saying that a tour for diplomats was not a substitute for proper visits by inspectors. So far, Russia and China have seemingly decided to follow suit. The United States, which was not invited, has slammed the tour as a “ploy.”

Experts speculate that it is unlikely that the tour will have a lasting effect on suspicions on Iran’s nuclear programme. Merely observers with no expert standpoint, diplomats touring the facilities will not be able to give a definite answer on the nature of the facilities one way or another.