Guardian Council Approves Parliament's Bill on Implementation of JCPOA

On Wednesday afternoon, October 22, the Guardian Council approved the Islamic Consultative Assembly's bill regarding the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between Iran and six world powers. Nejatollah Ebrahimiann, spokesperson for the Guardian Council, stated to Fars News Agency that the 'proportional and reciprocal action plan of the Islamic Republic of Iran in implementing the JCPOA' was not found to be contrary to Islamic law and the Constitution by a majority vote. The mentioned plan was approved by the representatives of the parliament in just 20 minutes amid uproar from opponents of the Vienna nuclear agreement. Out of 250 representatives present in the session, 161 voted in favor, 59 against, and 13 abstained. With the approval of this bill by the Guardian Council, the path for the full implementation of the Vienna agreement is paved, and as officials from Hassan Rouhani's government have announced, the JCPOA is likely to enter its implementation phase next Tuesday. The 90-day period for reviewing the Vienna nuclear agreement will end on October 26. Ali Akbar Salehi, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, stated that Iran's actions 'on the ground will take a maximum of about one and a half to two months, and it can be said that we will witness the full implementation of the JCPOA by late Azar or early Dey of this year.' According to the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Guardian Council had 10 days to express its opinion on this plan but approved it just one day after the parliament's decision. According to this bill, which has now become law, the government can voluntarily implement the JCPOA within the framework of the Supreme National Security Council's resolutions, provided that it adheres to nine specific rulings and obligations during the implementation process. Among these rulings and obligations are: 'The government is obliged to actively pursue global nuclear disarmament policy'; 'The foundation of the JCPOA is based on cooperation and reciprocal action'; 'Supervisions by the Agency must be conducted within the framework of international regulations and with consideration of the national security interests of the country'; 'The government is obliged to use the released financial resources within the framework of laws to achieve a resilient economy and boost production'; 'Opportunism and exploitation by the U.S. or other foreign governments should not be allowed within the country.' The President of Iran promised on Tuesday night that with the implementation of the JCPOA and the lifting of international sanctions, the way for economic prosperity will be paved, and the economic situation will change significantly next year. Hassan Rouhani stated that now, with the economic outlook after sanctions, we want to achieve economic growth in the second half of the year, and my message to the people is that everyone must be ready for a leap in production and economic growth, and I tell the people that next year the economic situation will change completely. Iran and the six world powers, including the U.S., Russia, China, France, and the U.K., along with Germany, reached an agreement on July 23 of this year to finalize the Tehran nuclear case, under which Iran agreed to suspend many of its nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting or suspension of international sanctions against the Islamic Republic.