International society must pressure Israel to sign NPT: Iran
Iran has urged the international community to pressure the Israeli regime into joining the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Deputy Representative of the Islamic Republic to the United
Nations Es’haq Al-e Habib says the international community must force Tel Aviv
to join the NPT and allow the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to
access its nuclear facilities considering the Israeli regime's destructive role
in the region.
Addressing a virtual meeting on the anniversary of the
Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) on Thursday, Al-e Habib stressed
that the destructive role of the United States and Israel has prevented the
realization of a Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Free Zone in the Middle
East.
He slammed the US' negative role in preventing the
proliferation of nuclear weapons and said with 1,054 nuclear tests, Washington
has had the highest number of such tests in comparison to other countries.
He referred to the US as the possessor of the world's
largest nuclear arsenal and the only country to have used nuclear weapons, and
said Washington not only has no intention to end testing nuclear weapons and
join the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) but also continues to
modernize and strengthen its nuclear arsenal.
Nuclear disarmament must remain at the top of the
international community's agenda, he said, adding that the nuclear tests must
be stopped since they are against the soul of CTBT and commitment to nuclear
disarmament as per the Article VI of the NPT.
Israel, which pursues a policy of deliberate ambiguity about
its nuclear weapons, is estimated to have 200 to 400 nuclear warheads in its
arsenal.
The regime has refused to allow inspections of its military
nuclear facilities or sign the NPT.
Under Article VI of the NPT, all parties to the treaty
undertake to pursue good-faith negotiations on effective measures related to
nuclear disarmament and the cessation of nuclear arms race.
BS
