Iran's parliament passes bill to reduce cooperation with IAEA

Iran's parliament on Wednesday passed a bill urging the government to reduce its cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog IAEA, in a reaction to the UN sanctions imposed on Tehran, the state radio reported.

"About 161 out of the total 203 parliament members voted for the bill," Gholam Ali Haddad Adel, the parliament speaker said in speech broadcast live on the state radio.

The bill urged the government to speed up its peaceful nuclear program and revise its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a move seen as a retaliation to the UN resolution.

The bill needs the approval of the powerful Guardian Council before it formally becomes a law.

The UN Security Council Resolution 1737, adopted unanimously on Saturday, demanded that Iran "suspend all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, including research and developments on all heavy water-related projects."

The resolution also called on all states to impose a ban on trade with Iran in goods related to its nuclear programs and ballistic missile delivery systems.

It demanded that "all states shall freeze the funds, other financial assets and economic resources" owned or controlled by officials and companies in the country's nuclear and missile programs.

Shortly after the UN Security Council's unanimous vote, the Iranian Foreign Ministry issued a statement lashing out at the resolution as an "illegal measure."

On Sunday, Iran had threatened to change the level of its cooperation with the IAEA.

Source: Xinhua