Nuclear deal becomes law in Iran
October 14, 2015
Iran's state news agency IRNA reported on Wednesday that the Guardian Council ratified the bill that implements the nuclear deal reached between Tehran and world powers.
The council's approval means the law has officially become law in Iran.
"The majority of the Guardian Council did not find the bill…to be against religious law and the constitution," said council spokesman Nejatollah Ebrahimian, Reuters reported, citing the semi-official Fars news agency.
The constitutionally-mandated Guardian Council - which comprises 12 jurists appointed by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and parliament - decides whether legislation passed in the country's legislative body adheres to "Islamic principles" and the constitution.
The bill passed through the Iranian parliament on Tuesday, marking a major victory for President Hassan Rouhani, who campaigned on a platform of ending Western sanctions through diplomatic means.
On July 14, the foreign ministers of Iran, the EU, Germany and the permanent members of the UN Security Council reached a landmark agreement to curb Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for lifting sanctions, which effectively crippled the Iranian economy.
In the US, conservative lawmakers attempted to undermine the deal in mid-September, but failed to garner enough votes in Congress to derail a presidential veto.
US President Barack Obama has described the deal as a "victory for diplomacy…and for the safety and security of the world."
ls/ (Reuters, AP)