Iranian Parliament: US Extension of Sanctions Contrary to Letter of JCPOA
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian lawmakers condemned a recent move by the US Congress to renew sanctions against the Islamic Republic for another ten years, saying it is contrary to the letter and spirit of the JCPOA, a nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers.
In a statement on Sunday, 264 Iranian parliamentarians slammed the US Congress for having voted for a legislation to extend sanctions against "the great nation" of Iran.
The “cruel” legislation, known as Iran Sanctions Act (ISA), is in contradiction with the letter and spirit of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the MPs added.
This is while world leaders and even US officials have repeatedly acknowledged that Iran has lived up to its commitments, the statement read.
The lawmakers also called on the Iranian administration to take action swiftly and retaliate the US measure.
The measure passed the US Senate by 99-0 on Thursday. It passed the House of Representatives nearly unanimously in November, and congressional aides said they expected President Barack Obama would sign it.
A senior lawmaker on Friday said Iran’s parliament is weighing a series of measures in response to the US Congress.
Bahrouz Nemati, spokesman for parliament’s presiding board, said some 220 lawmakers have prepared a resolution which condemns US extension of the sanctions.
A two-starred motion on prohibiting US-made products is also moving through the chamber for approval, Nemati added.
The parliament is expected to take other counter-measures against the ISA extension which he did not specify.
While the JCPOA, the nuclear agreement between Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany), came into force in January, some Iranian officials complain about the US failure to fully implement the accord.
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei said last month that if the sanctions were extended, Iran would definitely respond to it.
