TEHRAN, Feb. 23 (Xinhua) -- Iran halted on Tuesday the implementation of the Additional Protocol to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif announced, official news agency IRNA reported.

"We officially announced on February 15 to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that the law on this issue would be implemented from the morning of February 23, and therefore the implementation of this law has started this morning," Zarif said on the sidelines of a public event in Tehran.

The Iranian parliament passed in December 2020 a law named Strategic Action Plan to Counter Sanctions (SAPCS), mandating Iran's executive branch to stop implementing the additional protocol by Feb. 23 if sanctions on Iran that should be lifted under the 2015 nuclear agreement remain in place.

Commenting on the visit of IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi to Tehran last Sunday, Iran's chief diplomat said the goal of the trip was to make arrangements for the enforcement of the SAPCS law.

He noted that the records from cameras monitoring Iran's nuclear activities will now be withheld and will be no longer shared with the IAEA on a daily and weekly basis as was done in the past.

On Sunday, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) issued a statement, noting the records would be handled to the IAEA "if the sanctions against Iran are completely lifted within three months," and otherwise they will be erased.

Iran will nevertheless continue to implement its safeguards agreement with the IAEA, Zarif stressed in his remarks on Tuesday. Enditem

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