Israel nukes real threat: Bahraini official

A senior Bahraini lawmaker rejects claims that Iran jeopardizes security in the Middle East, stressing that Israel is a much greater threat.

On the sidelines of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA) Standing Committee on Political Affairs meeting in Tehran, Salah Ali Mohammad told IRNA that “the efforts made by the US and other Western countries to impose sanctions against Iran over its peaceful nuclear activities are unconstructive.”

“Over the past few years sanctions have been unable to prevent Iran’s nuclear progress and it would be better for the Americans to directly and transparently engage Iran in order to resolve this issue,” he added.

Referring to the double standards adopted by the West with regards to Iran’s enrichment activities, the Bahraini lawmaker said, “The West cannot turn a blind eye to the Israeli nuclear program, which is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).”

He further stressed the importance of a nuke-free Middle East and said, “Every country has the right to use peaceful nuclear energy to meet its needs.”