TEHRAN (Iran News) – “Iran halted the Additional Protocol implementation to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and restricted access to the country’s nuclear sites within the framework of a counteractive law approved by the Iranian Parliament”, said Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), while speaking in a TV program.

The head of AEOI also called Parliament’s law, dubbed the Strategic Action Plan to Counter Sanctions, as a golden opportunity, saying that were got the chance to launch 20% Uranium enrichment in 24 hours.

He went on to quote the Leader of the Islamic Revolution that “Iran will not change its stance regarding its nuclear program, and that Tehran may initiate uranium enrichment up to 60% based on the domestic need of the country”, saying, “We have the capacity now, and as the law has allowed us, we can increase our Uranium enrichment up to 60% in 24 hours.”

Referring to a recent joint statement between the Iranian nuclear agency and the IAEA which had been agreed upon during a visit of the IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi to Tehran, Salehi said that Iran’s joint statement with the IAEA has no hidden aspect, and Grossi declared that IAEA recognizes Iran’s right to enforce the parliamentary law.

After the US exit from the world powers’ nuclear deal with Iran in May 2018 and imposing the unprecedented sanctions on the Iranian nation, followed by the indifference of the European parties to the need for compensating Iran’s losses as a result of the US violation of the international accord, Iran started reducing its JCPOA commitments in five steps and finally suspended voluntary implementation of the Additional Protocol on Monday midnight.

Before ceasing the Additional protocol, Iran had begun enriching uranium to 20% purity in accordance with a piece of legislation approved by the parliament dubbed the Strategic Action Plan to Counter Sanctions in early last December, setting a Feb. 21 deadline for Biden administration to lift the US sanctions.