Iran: US nuclear summit charade

As the US prepares to hold a summit on nuclear security, Iran says the Washington conference is a charade led by the world’s nuclear-armed states.

“Nuclear countries seek to stage a show and pretend that they aim to slash their nuclear arsenals…but it is difficult for world nations to believe [their promises],” Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) on Saturday.

“Nuclear disarmament will only be possible if the independent and liberal countries of the world have the resolve to achieve this important goal,” he added.

The Iranian spokesman expressed hope that the countries in pursuit of nuclear monopoly would pay more attention to the demands of world nations.

“These countries should stop using threatening and bullying approaches and [instead,] pave the way for all nations and countries to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes,” Mehmanparast added.

He pointed to a two-day international conference on nuclear disarmament, due to be held in Tehran, and stressed that Iran seeks to open a new path toward international disarmament in cooperation with independent states.

The conference titled “Nuclear Energy for All, Nuclear Weapons for None” will take place on April 17 and 18 and will also include delegates from non-governmental organizations as well as international treaties such as the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.

As a longstanding signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Iran has rejected nuclear weapons and has repeatedly called for global nuclear disarmament by all states.