Sixty members of the Iranian parliament today demanded Iran's rapid withdrawal from the global nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT), DPA reported, citing the Iranian news portal “Didban“, BTA reports.
The NPT prohibits countries without nuclear arsenals from acquiring such weapons. The Iranian parliament, dominated by conservative hardliners, plans to prepare a bill to withdraw from the treaty, but it is not yet clear whether the efforts will be successful. The final say will be given to the country's Supreme Security Council and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The decision by Iranian lawmakers comes after Germany, France and Britain, known as the European Troika, activated the mechanism for reinstating UN sanctions against Iran. This mechanism, adopted with the 2015 Vienna nuclear agreement, allows signatories to reinstate sanctions in the event of violations by Tehran.
The Vienna deal requires Iran to limit its nuclear program, in exchange for the lifting of sanctions against the country. During his first term, US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from the treaty.
The agreement has not been implemented for years, and Iran considers the reimposition of old sanctions illegitimate.