THE Iranian parliament voted yesterday to grant foreign inspectors access to nuclear sites, but not to scientists, documents or military facilities.

MPs voted overwhelmingly in favour, with 199 of the 213 present supporting the Bill.

Speaker Ali Larijani read the Bill aloud in a session broadcast live on radio.

“The International Atomic Energy Agency, within the framework of the safeguard agreement, is allowed to carry out conventional inspections of nuclear sites,” the Bill said.

However it concluded that “access to military, security and sensitive non-nuclear sites, as well as documents and scientists, is forbidden.”

Tehran is in talks with with the P5+1 group of Britain, China, France, Russia, the US and Germany over its nuclear energy programme.

Iranian negotiators have already agreed to grant United Nations inspectors “managed access” to military sites under strict control and specific circumstances.

That right includes allowing inspectors to take environmental samples in the vicinity of military sites.