Iran MPs present bill seeking end to US threats

Tehran, May 12, IRNA – Iranian lawmakers presented a bill to the Majlis(parliament) presiding board on Tuesday morning which calls for halt of nuclear talks with Washington until US end its threatening rhetoric. 80 Iranian lawmakers have signed a bill that if passed would require a halt to nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington until the United States stops its threatening rhetoric against the Islamic Republic. The bill, with a triple-urgency status, would oblige the government to halt nuclear talks with US until Washington apologizes to Tehran and puts an end to threats against Iran. It insists that the negotiating team should continue nuclear talks with P5+1 without presence of US representative in the talks. The signatories of the bill have highlighted that they would not allow the hegemonic powers to undermine the rights of the Iranian nation and the country's sovereignty and independence. The move follows Washington’s fresh threats of military action against Iran amid the ongoing talks over Tehran’s nuclear program. US Secretary of State John Kerry as well as Vice President Joe Biden have recently said that the military option is still on the table regarding Iran. On May 6, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei described as “unacceptable” the use of threats concurrent with the nuclear negotiations and said that Washington’s need for the nuclear talks is not less than Tehran’s, if not more. The Leader also cautioned the Iranian negotiators to observe the country’s red lines in the course of the talks. The US threats come as Iran and the P5+1 group of countries are seeking to finalize a comprehensive deal on Tehran’s nuclear program by the end of June. The two sides reached a mutual understanding in Lausanne, Switzerland, on April 2.