Tehran: Iran's parliament has approved abortions in cases where the mother's life is in danger or the child would be handicapped, the official IRNA news agency reported yesterday.

The decision is a groundbreaking one for Irans conservative-dominated parliament. "It is the first time in the past 26 years that parliament dared to debate such a controversial law," the agency said in reference to the era since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

IRNA said opponents of the bill argued that many disabled people had played important roles in society and that it was possible the legislation could be abused.

In an effort to curtail abuse of the system the legislation says an abortion would need a formal request from the parents in addition to the verdict of three specialists and the Coroner's Office, IRNA reported.

Advocates of the law sited the financial drain families of handicapped children had to suffer.

IRNA said the legislation foresaw punishment for abuses of the law, but did not go into detail.

All parliamentary legislation passed in Iran must be approved by the Guardian Council, a 12-man conservative legislative watchdog composed of six clerics and six lawyers.