Iran’s Majlis could hit back at US Senate bill

A senior Iranian lawmaker says Iran's Majlis (Parliament) will adopt retaliatory measures if sanctions against the country are not lifted as a result of the US Senate’s recent bill that can potentially enable Congress to review and reject a final deal with Iran over its nuclear program.

“If the Americans seek to act against the Islamic Republic’s demand for the cancellation of all sanctions concurrently with a final deal, the Islamic Republic of Iran also will not accept the deal,” Chairman of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee Alaeddin Boroujerdi told ISNA on Friday.

He added that Majlis would oblige the Iranian government to proceed with all its previous nuclear activities.

The Iranian legislator further said, “Although the Americans are under an illusion about all the regional issues and act accordingly, they should realize that on the nuclear issue, the [entire] group of P5+1 countries is our opposite side.”

Boroujerdi’s comments came after the US Senate on Thursday overwhelmingly passed legislation which will make it possible for Congress to review and potentially reject a final deal with Iran over its nuclear program.

The bill gives Congress 30 days to review a final nuclear deal after Iran and the P5+1 countries reach such an agreement, and during that time bars President Barack Obama from temporarily waiving any US sanctions on Iran that were passed by Congress.

Iran and the P5+1 group of countries -- the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany -- reached a mutual understanding on the parameters of a comprehensive agreement over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program in Lausanne, Switzerland, on April 2.

Iran and the six-party group have agreed to finalize a comprehensive deal on Tehran’s nuclear program by the end of June.