MNA – Iranian lawmakers vehemently condemned the new resolution passed by the IAEA Board of Governors against Iran, calling on the government to stop implementing the Additional Protocol in response.

The “Islamic Republic of Iran, as a country that has had the highest level of cooperation and transparency with the IAEA in 50 years of NPT, considers IAEA Board of Governor’s resolution as an excessive demand,” reads a statement signed by 240 parliamentarians on Sunday.

Iran has implemented the Additional Protocol voluntarily and not based on its commitments, noted the MPs, adding that during the past five years, IAEA has had the strictest inspections on Iranian cites based on the protocol.

The statement comes as, on June 19, the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Board of Governors adopted a resolution drafted by the UK, France and Germany calling on Iran to grant the IAEA access to two locations amid allegations of undeclared nuclear activities.

Appreciating the stance of those countries who have not backed this scandal, lawmakers noted that this non-binding resolution is a sign of a dominating culture that rules over the IAEA.

European countries’ pressure for the ‘so-called preservation’ of the JCPOA shows that they have had an unconstructive view towards the rights of the Iranian people and have assumed the JCPOA as a tool to pursue their own aims, adds the statement.

The approval of E3-proposed resolution proves that these countries have “once again stumbled into the US and Israeli regime’s trap”, striking another blow to multilateralism, adds the statement.

The Iranian Parliament believes succumbing to such a ‘political blackmailing’ equals establishing a wrong approach in accepting the culture of ‘dominance’ that will lead to increased structural discrimination in the NPT, according to MPs.

“The Iranian Parliament calls on the government to stop voluntary implementation of Additional Protocol and change inspections into offline.”

Lawmakers hoped that the IAEA would revise its ‘wrong and dangerous’ approach towards interacting with Iran and carry out its safeguards regime “independently and professionally not under the influence of political and hostile pressures of some members of the Board of Governors.”

Iran has said the IAEA Board resolutions are not legally binding, stressing that the information obtained via espionage by the Israeli regime which is now the basis of the Agency’s requests is invalid and unverifiable. Iran’s ambassador to the Agency said the adoption of the resolution would neither encourage nor coerce Tehran to grant access.