Iran's parliament votes to suspend cooperation with IAEA

The Iranian Parliament has voted almost unanimously for a plan that requires the government in Teheran to suspend cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).?The Supreme National Security Council now needs to give a final approval.

During Wednesday's session, lawmakers agreed to the general outline of a plan requiring the government to suspend cooperation with the IAEA, with 221 votes in favor, no votes against, and one abstention out of a total of 223 representatives present in the session, Tasnim News Agency reported.

Before it can be enforced, the bill requires final approval from Iran's Supreme National Security Council.

The bill requires the government to suspend cooperation with the IAEA until Teheran is given tangible guarantees of the agency's professional conduct.

A parliamentary committee had earlier this week approved the general outline of a bill aimed at suspending Iran's cooperation with the IAEA in response to the UN nuclear watchdog's conduct over the US and Israeli aggression against Iran, the Tasnim report added.

According to Ebrahim Rezaei, the spokesperson for the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, the plan was approved by members after reviewing the details in a session held on Monday.

Rezaei said that, under the plan, Iran might not agree to the installation of cameras at its nuclear sites, to inspections, the entry of inspectors or submit reports to the agency until the security of all nuclear facilities is guaranteed.

In Geneva, Iran's ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations Office has said that Teheran will not relinquish its right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, the Mehr News Agency of Iran reported.

Addressing the UN Disarmament Conference on Tuesday, Ali Bahreini emphasized that the United States, despite being both a permanent member of the UN Security Council and signatory of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, collaborated with the Israeli regime and launched an attack on Iran's nuclear sites, relying on an unbalanced report by the director-general of the IAEA.

This attack targeted not only Iran, but also the entire global non-proliferation system, the ambassador added.

He criticized the US for working with a nuclear-armed regime that has not signed the NPT, warning that the act of aggression against Iran will leave a stain on the USA's record, with widespread consequences for international peace and security.

Bahreini stressed that, since 1970, Iran has adhered to the NPT and advocated only for the peaceful use of nuclear energy. Nevertheless, Iran has faced unfair sanctions and military assaults on its facilities.

On Monday, Iran's envoy to the IAEA Reza Najafi also stressed that the US, the Israeli regime and the IAEA should shoulder responsibility for the consequences of attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities, and bear responsibility for any negative environmental outcomes caused by the US attack on the facilities.

Najafi was addressing an extraordinary meeting of the Board of Governors of the IAEA, which was held at Iran's request.