Nuclear: Israel the Only obstacle

Iran Sees Israel as Only Obstacle to Materialization of Nuclear-Free Middle-East
TEHRAN Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi blasted the Zionist regime's clandestine nuclear program, and said Israel is the only obstacle to the materialization of a Middle-East free from atomic weapons.




"The Zionist regime is the only obstacle to the creation of a Middle-East free from nuclear weapons," Salehi said, addressing the second international conference on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation in Tehran on Sunday.

Referring to a conference due to be held in 2012 "on the establishment of a Middle East free from all weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), including nuclear weapons" approved by the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference last year, he expressed the hope that the conference would make the Zionist regime accept the international community's repeated demand for joining the NPT.

Salehi described disarmament as a necessity for the creation of a secure world, and said that no precondition should be set for the materialization of this goal.

Iran, an NPT-signatory, has called for the removal of all weapons of mass destruction from across the globe.

The UN General Assembly approved a draft resolution proposed by Iran on nuclear disarmament in October 2009 amid strong opposition by the US, Britain, France, Israel and a number of western countries.

The resolution ratified in the first committee of the UN General Assembly calls on all nuclear countries to annihilate their nuclear weapons under the supervision of international bodies.

More than 100 countries, including non-nuclear members of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), voted for the resolution.

The resolution also urges Israel to join the NPT and allow the IAEA to inspect its nuclear installations.

Also in pursuit of global nuclear disarmament, Tehran held the first conference on nuclear disarmament on April 18-19, 2010 with officials from different world countries in attendance.

During the two-day conference, world officials and politicians put their heads together to address issues and concerns in connection with nuclear disarmament.

Foreign ministers, representatives and nuclear experts from 60 world countries participated in the event to discuss challenges on nuclear disarmament, countries' commitment to nuclear dismantlement and disarmament and aftermaths of inaction in the destruction of the WMDs.