TEHRAN, Iran: The Iranian Parliament on Tuesday adopted a bill seeking to safeguard the country’s nuclear rights as the government is likely to clinch a final deal with the world powers over the nuclear programme.
The bill was supported by 213 lawmakers while 10 voted against it and five abstained from voting.
However, the government headed by President Hassan Rouhani termed the bill as unconstitutional as it contravened the country’s defence and security policies.
“This bill contradicts article 176 of the constitution. The issue of negotiations is in the sphere of the Supreme National Security Council… not the government or the parliament, the government spokesman Muhammad Bagher Nobakht said.
It comes when the Islamic Republic of Iran is negotiating with the six world powers including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, China, Russia and Germany to finalize a historic deal over its disputed nuclear programme.
Meanwhile, the Iranian Foreign Minister Muhammad Javad Zarif said on the sidelines of an EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg that the talks with top international powers on Tehran’s nuclear programme could be completed by June 30 deadline or slightly later.
The bill has demanded the negotiators to include removal of anti-Iran sanctions in the text of the deal. It says that as soon as Iran begins to fulfill its obligations under the accord, all sanctions against the Islamic Republic must be lifted.
It also says that once a final nuclear deal is inked between the two sides, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would be allowed to carry out conventional inspections of Iran’s nuclear sites within the framework of its safeguards agreement. But, it adds, any access to Iranian military, security and sensitive non-nuclear sites as well as documents and scientists would be forbidden.
The bill has further asked the Iranian administration to not to accept any restrictions on the country’s research and development of nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.
