Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani Rejects Bill to Step Up Enrichment

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said his administration opposes a draft bill overwhelmingly approved by the Parliament that would increase uranium enrichment and bar international inspectors from visiting the country’s nuclear facilities. “The government does not agree with the bill passed by the Parliament yesterday, and considers it to be detrimental to diplomatic efforts” to restart the Iran nuclear deal, he said. Rouhani announced his opposition on Wednesday during a Cabinet meeting, Iran’s state-run PressTV reported. The Strategic Action Plan to Counter Sanctions bill was approved by 251 out of 290 members of Parliament on Tuesday. It would further erode Iran’s compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) or Iran nuclear deal signed in 2015 with the world powers. The bill ultimately will need to be approved by the 12-member Guardian Council, that reviews all Parliamentary legislation. The bill is, in part, a reaction to the assassination on Friday of Iran’s chief nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, an attack which Iran says was carried out by Israel.