Iran parliament OKs nuclear deal

Iran’s parliament on Tuesday approved the nuclear deal the country struck with world powers, and a council of senior clerics will review the accord before its final adoption, Iran’s IRNA news agency said.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said that next Monday will probably be the day the nuclear agreement is formally adopted. That begins a series of steps Iran and world powers must take.

Among them: Iran must submit formal answers to questions from the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency about suspected nuclear weapons research; President Obama must issue waivers to suspend nuclear-related U.S. sanctions on Iran; and the European Union must begin the process of terminating its sanctions on Iran.

The parliament’s vote calls on the government to be vigilant about the world powers’ failure to lift sanctions in accordance with the agreement, Tehran’s Tasnim

News said. If a violation occurs, Iran should expand its nuclear energy program with a 10-fold increase in fuel production capacity within two years, the lawmakers agreed.

International monitors will not be allowed access to Iranian military centers and personnel, unless approved by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, IRNA reported.

The clerics have the power to send the deal back to parliament for reconsideration. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has the final say on key policies, but he has indicated that it is up the parliament to approve or reject the deal.

The nuclear deal calls for curbing Iran’s nuclear activities in return for lifting economic sanctions. Iran maintains its nuclear program is only used for peaceful purposes such as power generation and medical treatment, but it has balked at giving inspectors unfettered access to its nuclear sites to confirm that claim. Obama has said the inspections will be the most intrusive ever approved. The accord was reached this summer after two years of negotiations between Iran and six world powers: the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany.

The United Nations Security Council passed a resolution codifying the nuclear agreement July 20. Sunday, Iran announced it test fired a long-range precision-guided ballistic missile even though such tests appear to be banned under the resolution.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei indicated that it is up to the parliament to approve or reject the deal.