Iran criticizes UN for failing to get "Israel" to sign NPT

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
27 Aug 2022 20:41

Iranian FM Hossein Amir-Abdollahian criticizes the hypocrisy of the UN towards "Israel."

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian is criticizing, in a phone call with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty's President, Gustavo Zlauvinen, for not pushing "Israel" to sign the treaty.

“This is not acceptable by us at all," Amir-Abdollahian said, as he argued that by not pushing "Tel Aviv," Zlauvinen put way all of the previous conferences' successes.

On August 1, the Tenth Review Conference of the Parties to the NPT took place and was planned to end on Friday.

"Israel" has between 200 to 400 nuclear warheads, and is the only owner of non-conventional weapons in West Asia.

"Israel" has refused to endorse the NPT or allow the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to investigate its military nuclear facilities.

Earlier this month, the European Union had made a proposal with significant concessions to Iran on the revival of the nuclear deal. At the time, it was underscored that the EU's proposal will be accepted by Tehran if the 27-nation bloc provides it with confidence in various issues entailing political claims related to safeguards, sanctions, and guarantees for the sustainability of the agreement.

Amir-Abdollahian, within this context, revealed that Tehran is monitoring and studying Washington's response: “My colleagues are currently working to examine the US response,” he said. “We possess the serious and real will for conclusion of a strong and sustainable agreement, and have displayed this will in practice."

Guterres, in response, said that he promises to address Iran's concerns over "Israel's" refusal to sign the NPT. He also thanked Tehran's constructive efforts and positions on the matter, expressing optimism that the negotiations will bear positive outcomes.

The United Kingdom, Russia, China, Germany, the United States, France, the European Union, and Iran signed the JCPOA in 2015, enforcing restrictions on the advancement of the Iranian nuclear deal in exchange for the lifting of US sanctions.

In 2018, then-US President Donald Trump withdrew from the JCPOA and reenacted sanctions, prompting Iranian authorities to respond by gradually abandoning their own commitments under the deal, specifically on nuclear research, centrifuges, and the level of uranium enrichment.

Both countries expressed interest in resuming talks on the JCPOA after President Joe Biden succeeded Trump at the White House. In December of last year, the parties agreed on two drafts of the new deal, but to no avail, as no definitive agreement was reached. Since then, the parties had multiple rounds of talks on reviving the deal.