IAEA Notified of Iran’s Decision on Additional Protocol
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The International Atomic Energy Agency’s director general has been handed a letter about Iran’s decision to suspend the voluntary implementation of the Additional Protocol of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the Iranian envoy to the IAEA said.
Iran’s ambassador to Vienna-based international organizations said on Monday that an official letter about Tehran’s decision on the Additional Protocol has been submitted to IAEA chief Rafael Grossi.
“This measure has been taken in line with the law passed by the Islamic Consultative Assembly to safeguard the interests of the Iranian nation... and conforms to articles 26 and 36 of the JCPOA, and was taken after other parties (to the JCPOA) failed to fulfill their commitments for the removal of illegal sanctions” imposed on Iran, Kazem Gharibabadi said, Press TV reported.
According to the envoy, Iran has asked the IAEA to take necessary measures as soon as possible to meet the country’s demands, noting that “from now on, cooperation between Iran and the IAEA will be solely based on the Safeguards Agreement until sanctions are removed in a tangible manner and the way is paved for Iran to return to the implementation of voluntary measures” it had taken under the JCPOA.
In December 2020, the Iranian Parliament ratified a bill requiring the government to halt voluntary implementation of the NPT if the European signatories to the 2015 nuclear deal keep failing to honor their commitments.
With the deadline of February 21 looming, the three EU parties to the JCPOA –France, the UK and Germany- have not taken any practical measure to honor the deal, urging Tehran to remain committed to the agreement.
The new US administration has also refused to lift the anti-Iranian sanctions imposed by its predecessor and has set conditions for a return to the agreement that Trump scrapped in 2018.