Iran's Majlis (Parliament) will retaliate if U.S. Congress tries to sabotage a potential deal on the country's nuclear issue, a senior Iranian lawmaker said in Tehran on Friday.

Majlis would oblige the Iranian government to proceed with all its previous nuclear activities (in case a deal was prevented by the U.S. Congress), Chairman of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Alaeddin Boroujerdi was quoted as saying by Press TV.

Boroujerdi made the remarks in response to a U.S. Senate bill passed on Thursday that gives U.S. Congress the power to review and potentially reject a nuclear agreement with Iran.

Iran will not accept any deal unless it is agreed that all sanctions would be lifted upon the implementation of such deal, he added.

Under the Senate bill, Congress will review and vote on a nuclear pact with Iran within 30 days, during which the Obama administration cannot lift sanctions on Iran.

U.S. President Barack Obama had voiced his readiness to sign such a bill after it passed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, but warned against "poison pill" amendments to the bill like the recognition of Israel.

Iran and the United States, Britain, China, France, Russia plus Germany, collectively known as the P5+1 group, are racing against the June 30 deadline for a comprehensive agreement after negotiating a framework deal in early April.

European Union Political Director Helga Schmid and his Iranian counterparts Abbas Araghchi and Majid Takht Ravanchi will resume their work on May 12 in Vienna.

Schmid and the Iranian negotiators will continue their work on drafting the main text of the final and comprehensive deal on the Iran nuclear issue, based on the key understandings reached on April 2 in Lausanne. Experts are also working out annexes to the main draft deal.

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)