Iran lawmakers curtailed on power to veto nuclear deal

Iran’s parliament curtailed its own power to block a nuclear deal with world powers Sunday, effectively removing a longstanding threat that a final accord could be torn up by lawmakers. A draft bill presented on Wednesday, which laid down strict criteria for Iran to accept any agreement, had threatened to complicate upcoming talks on the long-pursued deal, which are due to conclude on June 30.

speaker Ali Larijani said after 199 MPs voted for the amendments in the 290-member chamber.

Ali Larijani

Iran and the P5+1 powers (Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States plus Germany) agreed the outlines of the nuclear deal on April 2 after intensive talks went past a March 31 deadline. Major roadblocks that remain include the West’s ability to enforce tighter inspections of Iran’s nuclear sites and other facilities. Iranian officials insist there can be no inspections of military sites and the legislation published on Sunday forbids access beyond “conventional supervision” of nuclear sites. Iran has for years been faced with UN, EU and US sanctions that have ravaged its economy. In a measure that mirrors that taken in Tehran, President Barack Obama has given US lawmakers 30 days to review a nuclear deal.