Iran Parliament approves Nuclear Deal with world powers

Tehran: Iran's parliament approved on Tuesday the country's nuclear deal with world powers, paving the way for the historic agreement curbing Tehran's atomic programme to take effect and for sanctions to end.

The vote came after fierce debate over the terms of the accord, which was struck on July 14 but has faced a rough ride from hardliners in Tehran and in the US Congress.

A motion to approve the deal passed 161-59, with 13 abstentions.

A tally on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the deal's official name, said 250 of Iran's 290 lawmakers were present, with 17 of them not voting.

State television did not broadcast the vote, but media outlets reported angry scenes, with some MPs shouting that their concerns had not been addressed.

A notorious critic of the nuclear diplomacy, Hamid Rasaie, was pictured on social media holding up a piece of paper declaring: "This is an official violation of law. Parliament is a sham."

Another ultraconservative, Mehdi Kouchakzadeh, was quoted as saying: "This is no one's decision; it is Larijani's decision," a reference parliament speaker Ali Larijani's refusal to let him speak.
The agreement between Iran and the so-called P5+1 group (Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States plus Germany) came after almost two years of diplomacy.