Iran's parliament orders end to protocol signing with nuclear agency
The Iranian official news agency reported today that Iran's Parliament today approved "a motion of single urgency laying out a plan for the government to suspend implementation of the NPT Additional Protocol."
IRNA said that the motion was passed with 162 MPs in favor, 42 against and 15 abstaining from the voting.
It was presented by over 155 MPs in reaction to last Saturday's resolution passed by the UN nuclear watchdog (IAEA) which declared Tehran in violation of its NPT commitments.
The resolution was drafted and proposed by the three European states (Britain, France and Germany) representing the EU in the nuclear talks at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and passed by its governing board without the required consensus, raising doubts on its legality, IRNA reported.
The approved motion binds the government to suspend its voluntary implementation of the Additional Protocol to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) until Tehran succeeds in obtaining recognition of its right to complete the nuclear fuel cycle.
"Majlis (Parliament) urges the government to suspend implementation of the Additional Protocol to the NPT in order to defend the indisputable right of the Iranian nation," wrote the text of the plan, saying it is also intended to "preserve the scientific achievements of Iranian offspring."
Meantime, because of the unexpected firm stance and reaction Iran has taken in defense of its rights, some see that the opponents of Iran now wish Iran would backtrack from its position to take a more reconciliatory tone, to give the EU-3 and the US a way out of their dilemma. Iran's reactions seemed to have not been expected. So, as a result, reports tried to attribute the IAEA decision against Iran to the Iranian President's speech at the UN as having been "strong." Though Iranian officials have said that the decision by the parliament does not meant Iran wants to withdraw from the nuclear nonproliferation treaty, this decision by the parliament can possibly be interpreted as another step, among several in this direction Iran intends or can take, if the opponents of Iran do not retract their IAEA decision and assert Iran's right to the "full nuclear fuel enrichment cycle" as being demanded by Iran.