Iranian lawmakers give green light to urgent motion to thwart sanctions

The majority of Iranian lawmakers have given green light to an urgent strategic motion, which aims to counteract unilateral sanctions imposed on the Islamic Republic by Western countries, topped by the United States.

The plan, approved during the Monday session of the Iranian Parliament, is in response to unilateral economic sanctions imposed on the country by the West, especially the administration of US President Donald Trump, and was passed with 196 votes in favor, six votes against and four abstentions.

It obliges the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) to produce at least 120 kg of 20-percent enriched  uranium annually and store it inside the country within two months after the adoption of the law.

According to the motion, the AEOI should start the installation, gas injection, enrichment and storage of nuclear materials up to an appropriate enrichment degree within a period of three months using at least 1,000 IR-2m centrifuges.

The motion also requires the Iranian government to stop any regulatory access beyond the Additional Protocol within two months of its enactment in line with Articles 36 and 37 of a multilateral nuclear deal -- officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) -- signed between Iran and major world powers in 2015.

Within three months after the motion is made into law, the government will have to stop voluntary implementation of the Additional Protocol to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) if Iran's banking relations with Europe and the volume of the Iranian oil purchased by the European countries do not return to normal and satisfactory conditions, it added.

Based on the motion, if the European parties to the JCPOA start observing their obligations within three months following approval of this law, the Iranian administration should submit a proposal to the parliament on Iran's reciprocal measures for restoring full implementation of its JCPOA obligations.

Trump, a stern critic of the JCPOA, unilaterally pulled Washington out of the historic deal in May 2018, and unleashed the “toughest ever” sanctions against the Islamic Republic in defiance of global criticism in an attempt to strangle the Iranian economy, particularly in the oil sector.

Following its much-criticized exit, Washington has been attempting to prevent the remaining signatories from abiding by their commitments and thus kill the JCPOA, which is widely viewed as a fruit of international diplomacy.

IAEA: Iran ‘doesn’t have significant quantity’ of material for nukes

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says Iran is not in possession of enough enriched uranium to develop an atomic weapon.

In response to the US’ unilateral move, Tehran has so far rowed back on its nuclear commitments five times in compliance, but stressed that its retaliatory measures will be reversible as soon as Europe finds practical ways to shield the mutual trade from the US sanctions.

As a first step, Iran increased its enriched uranium stockpile to beyond the 300 kilograms set by the JCPOA.

In the second step, Tehran began enriching uranium to purity rates beyond the JCPOA limit of 3.76 percent.

In the third phase, after the Europeans failed to meet a 60-day deadline to meet Iran’s demands and fulfill their commitments under the deal, Iran started up advanced centrifuges to boost the country's stockpile of enriched uranium and activated 20 IR-4 and 20 IR-6 centrifuges for research and development purposes.

In November 2019, Iran began injecting gas into centrifuges at the Fordow plant as part of its fourth step away from the JCPOA under the supervision of the IAEA.

Back in January, the Iranian government issued a statement announcing its decision to take the fifth and final step in reducing its commitments under the JCPOA.

In a tweet on October 15, Iran’s top atomic authority said Iranian scientists will confront the United States’ bullying targeting the Islamic Republic’s right to peaceful nuclear energy, asserting that the country will never give up this right in the face of Washington’s one-upmanship.

Iran scientists ready to counter US bullying concerning use of nuclear energy: AEOI

Iran’s atomic authority says Iranian scientists will confront the United States’ bullying targeting the Islamic Republic’s right to peaceful nuclear energy.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran nuclear scientists, following the guidelines of the Supreme Leader (of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei), are ready to face the coercion and unilateralism of the US government relating to the use of the nuclear energy,” the AEOI said.

Read more:

• Iran nuclear chief: Reining in US' destructive behavior necessary to protect multilateralism
• Iran enjoys most transparent nuclear program among IAEA members: Envoy
• Iran key partner to UN nuclear watchdog: Grossi
• Germany reiterates full commitment to Iran nuclear deal, regrets US withdrawal

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