Iran stresses WMD-free world

Iran Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has reiterated the Islamic Republic’s long-held position against development of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), calling for dismantling of all kinds of WMD, including nuclear weapons.

“Iran does not seek to acquire nuclear weapons and [raising] such allegations against Iran is dangerous,” Zarif told the 60th Pugwash Conference on Science and World Affairs dubbed “Dialogue, Disarmament, and Regional and Global Security,” in Istanbul on Friday.

“Iran has never used weapons of mass destruction. The use of nuclear and mass destruction weapons is devoid of legitimacy even for legitimate defense. Islamic teachings also order us not to use weapons of mass destruction,” the minister said.

Zarif also reiterated Iran’s call for the elimination of nuclear arms and other weapons of mass destruction on the global scale.

“The world must be cleared of WMD and nuclear weapons because it is a necessity for the world security. Our objective must be prohibition of nuclear and mass destruction weapons,” he added.

The United States, Israel and some of their allies have repeatedly accused Iran of pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program.

Iran categorically rejects the allegation, arguing that as a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it has the right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

Israel is widely believed to be the only possessor of nuclear weapons in the Middle East, with estimated 200-400 nuclear warheads.

The Israeli regime rejects all regulatory international nuclear agreements, particularly the NPT, and refuses to allow its nuclear facilities to come under international regulatory inspections.