Iranian MPs to Discuss Motion on Quitting NPT
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Iranian parliament’s presiding board said it has received a motion for the country to withdraw from the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) following the European countries’ recent decision regarding the 2015 nuclear deal.
Speaking to Tasnim, Ahmad Amirabadi Farahani, a member of the presiding board of the parliament, said the board as received motion that, if passed, would require the administration to leave the NPT.
He added that another motion on punishing the countries that cooperate with the US to enforce its sanctions against the Islamic Republic has also been received.
Earlier this month, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said if the European Union continues unjustifiable conduct and moves to send Iran’s nuclear case to the United Nations Security Council, Tehran would have the option of leaving the NPT.
It came after the three European signatories to the JCPOA (France, Britain and Germany) formally triggered the dispute mechanism within the agreement, accusing Iran of having violated the accord.
Zarif explained that Iran was the party to initially trigger the dispute mechanism in 2018 by sending three letters to the European Union to notify them of Tehran’s dissatisfaction with Europe’s non-commitment to the agreement. The Islamic Republic, he added, was then forced to resort to the nuclear countermeasures as the Europeans remained in violation of the accord.
He, however, said Tehran’s measures were reversible provided Europe would begin minding its JCPOA obligations.
“But if Europeans keep up their actions based on political games, we have various options because their actions lack legal standing,” he said.
Zarif noted, however, that before taking the final step of withdrawing from the NPT, Iran has other steps to ponder.
