Iran’s Deputy Ambassador to the UN Gholam-Hossein Dehqani told a UN meeting on a Middle East free of nuclear weapons that the nuclear-armed Israeli regime poses a threat to the security of the Middle East and the world, stressing the necessity of Tel Aviv’s accession to the NPT.

He said that the Islamic Republic of Iran joined the NPT in 1974, adding that the country has always stressed that the Middle East must be free of nuclear arms as well as weapons of mass destruction. He also highlighted Iran’s active participation in different conferences on non-proliferation held so far.

Iran calls for all countries, in particular those in the critical region of the Middle East, to join the international treaty, the Iranian envoy said.

Dehqani also said that non-signatories to the NPT would be reluctant to join it without pressure from the international community.

Israel is widely believed to be the only possessor of nuclear weapons in the Middle East, with estimated 200-400 nuclear warheads.

The Israeli regime, which rejects all regulatory international nuclear agreements, particularly the NPT, maintains a policy of deliberate ambiguity over its nuclear activities and refuses to allow its nuclear facilities to come under international regulatory inspections.

SHI/SHI