Iran's parliament has passed a law that forbids international nuclear inspectors from visiting military sites, in a vote that came just a week before Iran and six major powers plan to conclude a far-reaching nuclear agreement.
Fars news agency reported that following approval of the draft bill on June 21, 214 lawmakers out of 244 present passed the law in a final vote on June 23.
It is unclear whether the law will create obstacles in reaching the nuclear deal, or in implementing it, as all decisions on the nuclear issue ultimately rest with Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The planned agreement would not only oblige Iran to scale down its nuclear program in return for the lifting of sanctions, but would also impose a strict inspection regime on its nuclear installations.
Access to sites run by the country's large military establishment are one of the unresolved issues ahead of the June 30 deadline that both sides have set.
Iranian President Hassan Rohani has not ruled out such inspections, as long as they are coordinated with Iran in advance, while the six powers seek broad access rights for International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors.