Iran will not withdraw from NPT

Iran’s Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani says the country will not withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), despite recent sanctions imposed against the Islamic Republic.

“The western countries’ reactions should not make us angry and cause our withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT),” Mehr News Agency quoted Ali Larijani as saying on Thursday.

Larijani went on to say that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been already weakened by western countries’ policies and that Iran can either stay and strengthen the nuclear watchdog, or deal the last blow to the IAEA by withdrawing from the IAEA and NPT.

“I think we should not withdraw from the IAEA or the NPT. We must provide the grounds for implementing the rules by strengthening them instead,” Larijani added.

In response to a question about EU sanctions against Iran, the Majlis Speaker said the Europeans should realize that these measures will have no effect on Iran’s nuclear stance and Tehran will adopt similar reactions accordingly.

EU leaders agreed to impose tougher measures on Iran in addition to the forth round of UN Security Council sanctions over Tehran’s nuclear program in their summit in Brussels on Thursday.

These sanctions, which could come into effect within weeks, target the financial, transport, and banking sectors as well as investments in or sale of equipment to Iranian oil and gas companies.