Tehran, Iran – Hardline lawyers from Iran say a recently reached agreement between the government and the United Nations nuclear watchdog is “illegal” and must be punished by the president.
In a public vote on Monday, a large majority of lawmakers voted to submit a report by the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission on the agreement reached by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). to the judges for review.
The report claims that the agreement reached on Sunday between the IAEA and the Iranian Atomic Energy Agency (AEOI) constitutes a “clear breach” of a law passed by Parliament in December.
By law, the government of President Hassan Rouhani must suspend the voluntary implementation of the additional Protocol, which will give broad powers to IAEA inspectors, from Tuesday.
In a statement, the AEOI said that, in accordance with the law, the additional protocol will be completely suspended from Tuesday, and that no access will be granted to the nuclear watchdog of the UN beyond those are set out in a key defense treaty aimed at securing nuclear. non-multiplication.
However, detractors have said the agreement reached after IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi’s visit to Tehran is against December’s law, as Iran would record the survey data unilaterally nuclear watchdog investigators would normally receive additional Protocol coverage, but would not share the data.
The settlement will remain in place for three months, at the end of which data will be destroyed if U.S. sanctions, imposed on Iran since 2018 after former President Donald Trump’s withdrawal, are not lifted. out unilaterally from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal with world powers. .
Iran’s foreign ministry quoted Saeed Khatibzadeh as saying that the talks were “the result of good diplomatic achievement and good technical performance… within the framework of parliamentary binding law”.
Iran’s National Security Summit also said in a statement Monday that IAEA approval falls in line with parliamentary law.
‘President on the way to court!’
But angry parliamentarians had a different view.
Instead of their scheduled work on the annual budget bill that was delayed for months amid a spat with the government, they held a meeting behind closed doors to review the IAEA treaty and drafted a motion to judge. to introduce.
Several lawyers gave fire speeches in condemnation of the contract in a public session held afterwards.
Among them was parliament spokesman Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf – a strong political enemy of the president who unsuccessfully ran against him in the 2017 primary election and is considered a potential candidate in the the forthcoming June elections.
Ghalibaf said the parliament will not be satisfied with anything less than what it sees as the full implementation of the law it has passed.
The parliamentary motion also calls for Rouhani to be punished legally.
“The aforementioned law recognizes mister’s president as the person in charge,” the motion said, urging Rouhani and all others believed by the parliament to break it. give the law to the judge.
“The president on the way to court!” Tehran representative Mojtaba Rezakhah wrote on Twitter shortly after the move passed.
Another lawyer, Nazammudin Mousavi, said on Twitter that the parliament had sent a “definite message” with the motion: that no one will be allowed to “get around the law”.
‘Global revolution’
Members of the Senate of Experts, who have the power to appoint or remove the director general, said in a statement Monday that the U.S. return to the nuclear deal without “effective” construction sanctions would be harmful. be beneficial.
“Global arrogance must be aware that the return or non-return of the U.S. to the JCPOA will have no effect on the struggle of Iran’s dignitaries,” they said using the treaty’s formal name, the Joint Action Plan.
“We view renegotiation with the U.S. on previously agreed issues as a red line for their establishment and we are considering our uncompromising defense and missile issues.”
Senate members will meet with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei later Monday.