Iran’s IAEA envoy: Israel must join NPT

Iran’s envoy to the UN atomic agency says Israel has hampered efforts for a nuke-free Middle East by refusing to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Addressing the 54th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Ali Asghar Soltanieh called on the international community to pressure Israel into becoming a signatory to the NPT and allowing UN inspections of its nuclear facilities under the IAEA Safeguards Agreement.

“The regime’s clandestine proliferation program not only violates the basis of international law, the UN Charter, and the NPT, it also ignores the calls of a definite majority of UN member states,” IRNA Quoted Soltanieh as saying on Friday.

Israel, widely believed to be the sole possessor of a nuclear arsenal in the Middle East with over 200 undeclared nuclear warheads, has refused calls to join the non-proliferation regime.

Under a policy of “nuclear ambiguity” backed by the United States, Tel Aviv has also refused to join the IAEA or allow inspections of its controversial nuclear program.

In recent years, Israel has threatened to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities over accusations that Tehran is following a military nuclear program.

Iranian officials reject the allegations, arguing that as an NPT signatory Tehran has the right to use peaceful nuclear energy.

The 2010 Review Conference of the NPT in May wrapped up with a declaration to discuss creating a nuclear-weapons-free zone in the Middle East in 2012, calling on Israel to join the disarmament treaty.

Earlier on Friday, IAEA member states from the Middle East were disappointed following a vote on an IAEA resolution to persuade Israel to sign the NPT.

A group of 51 mostly Western countries rejected the draft resolution, 46 voted in its support including veto-wielding permanent UN Security Council members Russia and China.

Soltanieh told reporters afterwards that the vote was a success as it encouraged debate over Israel’s nuclear stance.