Iran lawmakers seek hardened nuclear stance
Iran’s parliament passed a bill on Tuesday (December 1) that would suspend inspections and other constraints on its nuclear program agreed with world powers -- unless international sanctions are lifted.
It appears to be a further response to the assassination of one of its top nuclear scientists last week.
It also calls for Iran to enrich uranium "for peaceful uses" in what would be a breach of the nuclear accord.
Hardline lawmakers were then seen chanting "Death to America! Death to Israel!" after the session where a draft of the bill was passed.
But the bill still needs to be endorsed by a clerical body to become law, and the government promptly said that the move by parliament could not change Iran's nuclear policy, which was the province of the Supreme National Security Council.
Parliament is led by hardline lawmakers and has often demanded a hardening of Iran's nuclear position, without success.
During Tuesday's deliberations parliament also heard details of how one previously out of action nuclear reactor could quickly be brought back online within months.
Earlier this week a senior Iranian official the government suspected a foreign-based opposition group of complicity with Israel in the killing of nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh.
