Iran ceases voluntary actions and Additional Protocol

In a dangerous escalation, Kazem Gharibabadi - Iran's ambassador and permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna - announced that he had delivered an official letter to the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency stating that it would "stop volunteer work" under the nuclear agreement under which Iran stopped inspections.

According to the letter, Iran will suspend "implementation of the Additional Protocol" as of February 23.

According to the "Tasnim" agency of the Revolutionary Guard, the Iranian delegate asked the International Atomic Energy Agency to take "the necessary measures to implement Iran's demands to suspend various voluntary actions, including the implementation of the Additional Protocol."

Earlier, Saeed Khatibzadeh, spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, said "if the other party does not fulfill its obligations by the first week of March, the government is obligated to stop the voluntary implementation of the Additional Protocol."

Iran says the suspension of the Additional Protocol can be reviewed if the other parties to the nuclear deal fulfill their obligations, and only then will Iran resume implementation of the protocol.

The implementation of the Additional Protocol allows IAEA inspectors to closely monitor Iran's activities and its nuclear program.

During the nuclear talks in 2015, Iran agreed to resume implementation of the protocol that it had previously suspended.

According to Gharibabadi, this action by the Iranian government comes within the framework of what was approved by the Iranian parliament last December, which provides for the suspension of the Additional Protocol and the maintenance of cooperation between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency only on the basis of guarantees.

Under the Iranian parliament's decision, which has now become binding law, the Iranian government must permanently end the implementation of the Additional Protocol, including mandatory (not only voluntary) inspections if US sanctions are not lifted by March 23.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said earlier that the implementation of the parliamentary decision is the wish of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who recently stipulated lifting US sanctions first, before Iran returns to full implementation of its obligations.

On the other hand, European countries have repeatedly called on Iran to stop violating its repeated commitments and to stop its destabilizing behavior on regional and international peace and stability.

J.O