Iran urges nuke states to join NPT

As the United Nations hosts a nuclear disarmament conference in New York, Iran calls on nuke-armed countries to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

“Countries which possess nuclear arsenals but pay no heed to non-proliferation of [nuclear] weapons should immediately join the NPT,” Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told the Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA) on Sunday.

He said the Islamic Republic welcomes any move toward the global eradication of atomic arms and promotes the application of nuclear technology for peaceful civilian purposes.

He added that many other countries have also called for steps towards these goals to be taken.

Mehmanparast said Iran urges world powers to pay attention to the demands of global public opinion for revision of the NPT.

“We need [the] cooperation of the international community to continue our efforts,” the spokesman added, expressing concerns of the global community about nuclear-armed countries which “feel no commitment to join the NPT.”

He advised the United States to exercise patience and avoid “hasty moves.”

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived in New York early Monday to take part in the 2010 Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

President Ahmadinejad is expected to present a proposal of revision to the NPT.

Tehran has been demanding a change in various articles of the NPT, arguing the 40-year-old treaty has been pointedly undermined by countries such as the United States.