Lawmaker Says Iran to Expel UN Nuclear Inspectors Unless Sanctions Are Lifted
Iran will
expel United Nations nuclear watchdog inspectors unless sanctions are lifted by
a Feb. 21 deadline set by the hard-line-dominated parliament, a lawmaker said
on Saturday.
Parliament
passed a law in November that obliges the government to halt inspections of its
nuclear sites by the International Atomic Energy Agency and to step up uranium
enrichment beyond the limit set under Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal if sanctions
are not eased.
Iran’s
Guardian Council watchdog body approved the law on Dec. 2 and the government
has said it will implement it.
“According
to the law, if the Americans do not lift financial, banking and oil sanctions
by Feb. 21, we will definitely expel the IAEA inspectors from the country and
will definitely end the voluntary implementation of the Additional Protocol,”
said parliamentarian Ahmad Amirabadi Farahani.
The
comments, referring to texts governing the IAEA’s mission and activities, were
carried by several Iranian media outlets, according to The Associated Press.
Iran said
on Monday it had resumed 20% uranium enrichment at an underground nuclear
facility, breaching the nuclear pact with major powers and possibly
complicating efforts by US President-elect Joe Biden to rejoin the deal.
It began
violating the accord in 2019 in response to US President Donald Trump’s
withdrawal from it in 2018 and the reimposition of US sanctions lifted under
the deal.
