The delay in the new US President Joe Biden’s promise to revive the Irannuclear deal has once again raised tensions in the region with Tehranannouncing to disallow International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectorsto visit the nuclear sites from Feb. 21.
Following recent tensions between the two long-time adversaries, whichpeaked in the final weeks of Trump’s presidency, Iran’s parliament adoptedlegislation that required the country to accelerate nuclear enrichmentactivities and end its commitments under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Abolfazl Amouei, the lawmaker and thespokesperson for Iranian parliament’s national security and foreign policycommission, said the law shall take effect if the sanctions are not liftedbefore the Feb. 21 deadline given by the parliament.
“If within next two weeks, there is no opening of the sale of Iranian oiland improvement in Iran’s banking transactions, as per Article 6 of theStrategic Action Law to Lift Sanctions, the voluntary implementation of theadditional protocol by Iran will be stopped,” he said.
In 2015, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council—China,France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States—and Germany together with theEuropean Union signed an agreement with Iran called the Joint ComprehensivePlan of Action (JCPOA) placing significant restrictions on its nuclearprogram in exchange for sanctions relief.
But in 2018, the US under President Donald Trump withdrew from theagreement and subsequently reimposed all sanctions on Iran lifted by theaccord.
In 2003, Iran had signed an additional protocol under the Non-ProliferationTreaty (NPT), granting access to the UN nuclear agency IAEA inspectors toinspect and verify the country’s nuclear program.
The protocol requires signatories to provide an elaborate declaration oftheir nuclear activities and gives the UN agency access to their nuclearsites, even though the action is voluntary.
*Onus on the US*
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Iran has put the onus on the revival of the deal on the US, maintainingthat it was Washington that had abandoned the deal and stopped implementingits commitments.
“Iran is in no hurry to revive JCPOA but will return to its obligationsafter the effective lifting of sanctions. We have adopted a policy ofneutralizing sanctions,” said the lawmaker.link
While nuclear enrichment has already surged up to 20% in recent weeks, thelaw mandates the government to disallow inspection of the country’s nuclearsites from Feb. 21, if the new US administration does not revive the deal.
Amouei said Iran will still accept inspections under the supervision of theUN nuclear watchdog, based on the safeguard agreement, but will not acceptinspections based on the NPT protocol.
“Iran had voluntarily accepted the implementation of the additionalprotocol within the framework of JCPOA in lieu to lift sanctions. But withsanctions not lifted, rather added, Iran sees no reason to implement theprotocol at this time,” he said.
He further said the action is in line with paragraphs 26 and 36 of thenuclear accord signed by Iran with world powers in 2015 and if otherparties want to “revive” it, they must “first fulfill their obligations”.
