TEHRAN: Iran’s Parliament approved the country’s nuclear deal with world powers Tuesday, paving the way for the historic agreement curbing Tehran’s atomic program to take effect and for sanctions to end.

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

A motion to approve the nuclear deal was however passed with 161 votes in favor, 59 against and 13 abstentions.

State television did not broadcast Tuesday’s vote but Iranian media outlets reported angry scenes including 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 MP, Mehdi Kouchakzadeh, was quoted as saying: “This is no one’s decision, it is Larijani’s decision,” a reference to the refusal of parliament speaker Ali Larijani to allow him to speak.

A tally of votes to pass the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the nuclear deal’s official name, said 250 of Iran’s 290 lawmakers were present and 17 of those in the chamber did not vote.