Iran parliament votes to reduce IAEA cooperation

TEHRAN: Iran's parliament on Wednesday approved a bill that obliges the government to "revise its cooperation" with the UN nuclear watchdog after Tehran was slapped with Security Council sanctions.   

The text of the bill was approved by an overwhelming majority in the conservative-controlled parliament, with 167 in favour and 21 against.   

The formulation leaves the government a free hand to cut cooperation as it feels best. This could involve limiting UN inspections of its atomic sites, a move that has been urged by several lawmakers.   

"Officials from the foreign ministry and the supreme national security council should be left to interpret the text," said Deputy Foreign Minister Hamid Reza Asefi who promoted the bill in parliament on behalf of the government.   

The vote applies to the principle of the bill to "revise cooperation" and now MPs are to debate the exact content of its text.