The bill was supported by 184 out of 203 deputies of the Majlis who participated in the vote. The parliament's decision is yet to be approved by the Islamic Republic's Supervisory Council.
Iran has been at the center of international concerns over its nuclear program, which some countries suspect is a covert program to develop nuclear weapons. Tehran has consistently denied the claims, and says it needs nuclear power for civilian purposes. Russia has consistently supported Tehran's right to nuclear power under the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
The Security Council voted unanimously December 23 to impose sanctions on Iran for its refusal to halt uranium enrichment. The resolution, which was adopted with account taken of Russia's proposals, prohibits all programs related to nuclear weapons, but allows Iranian officials to travel abroad, and imposes no ban on Iranian companies' international trade.
But Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said the UN Security Council resolution will have no effect on the Islamic Republic's will to continue its peaceful nuclear activities, adding that Iran does not intend to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) at the previous level after the UN vote.
