Iranian parliament prepares bill to quit nuclear non-proliferation treaty

Iran’s parliament has drafted a bill on withdrawing from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), Iranian Deputy Parliament Speaker Ali Nikzad announced.

The proposal is currently under review, including an assessment of its potential international repercussions, Nikzad explained. Once finalised, the bill is expected to be brought before a plenary session under an exceptional-urgency procedure, which would require lawmakers to consider it on the same day, Fars reports.

He also recalled that Iran suspended cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in September last year, describing IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi as an unscrupulous figure.

“He is the kind of person who comes, inspects, praises us, and then leaves and issues a negative report against us,” Nikzad remarked.

According to the deputy speaker, the decision to suspend cooperation had ultimately worked in Iran’s favour.

“Do we really have any hope that the IAEA director general or those sitting there will assist us in the field of nuclear energy? Of course not,” he added.

By Jeyhun Aghazada