International Shia News Agency

Iran urges stripping Israel of nuclear capability

“Israeli dark record of state terrorism, attacks or threat of attacks to the neighbors, and irresponsible and brutal behavior of Israel in the region… make it more urgent for the international community to put an end to nuclear capability of this regime,” Reza Najafi said on Thursday.

SHAFAQNA– Iran’s ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has called for international action to strip Israel of its military nuclear capability.

“Indeed, Israel has violated all international norms and regulations,” the Iranian envoy at the IAEA added.

Najafi made the remarks at an IAEA general conference prior to a vote on a resolution urging Tel Aviv to join the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and put its nuclear facilities under international monitoring.

The resolution, which was backed by 18 Arab countries, fell short of winning the support of the majority of IAEA member states.

Countries present at the meeting of the Vienna-based IAEA voted 58-45 against the resolution, while 27 abstained.

The resolution was introduced by Kuwaiti Ambassador to the IAEA Sadiq Marafi, who singled out Israel as “the only obstacle on a way to create a nuclear weapon-free zone in the Middle East.”

The Kuwaiti ambassador further lashed out at the Tel Aviv regime’s “provocative and aggressive attitude” in the region.

The Tel Aviv regime, which is widely believed to be the only possessor of nuclear arms in the Middle East, reportedly maintains between 200 and 400 atomic warheads.

Israel has never allowed any inspection of its nuclear facilities and continues to defy international calls to join the NPT.

Hans Blix, the former head of the IAEA, said in an interview with Press TV that he is convinced Israel possesses nuclear weapons.

He called on that Israeli officials join the NPT, saying Tel Aviv’s refusal to sign international nuclear treaties and its deliberate ambiguity policy with regards to its nuclear program are because of Washington’s supports.

A released report in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists also confirms that Israel possesses at least 80 operative nuclear warheads and has enough material to produce up to 190 more.

Nuclear weapon proliferation experts Robert Norris and Hans Kristensen estimate in the report that Israel halted its production of nuclear warheads back in 2004 “once it reached around 80 munitions.”

 

Source: Press TV

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