Iranian lawmakers unanimously passed the general outlines of the bill in a 240-0 vote with one abstention.
Iran's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee spokesman Seyed Hossein Naghavi Hosseini, while defending the bill, said the bill does not include any measure that would undermine JCPOA in any way; “Iran will never be the first to kill the nuclear deal and take responsibility for its costs,” he added.
Araghchi, also in defense, said the countermeasure bill is ‘much stronger' than US Congress bill against Iran, since it also extends support to the Islamic Republic’s armed forces and all related ministries.
He also noted that the ‘highly clever’ bill has taken great consideration not to violate the JCPOA.
Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also voiced approval of Rouhani’s administration for the bill.
The bill includes Iran’s countermeasure plans for any US acts of exploitation and terrorism in the region, as well as the Western country’s hostile moves that undermine the successful implementation of Iran’s nuclear deal, dubbed JCPOC, which went into effect in January 2016.
On August 2, US President Donald Trump signed into law a bill by Congress that imposes new sanctions against Russia, Iran and North Korea.
Iranian officials deem the anti-Iran sanctions over its ballistic missile program and alleged “support for terrorism” in violation of the spirit, if not the letter, of the JCPOA.
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