Iran Urges Nuclear Disarmament to Rid the Middle East of Threat of Israeli Nuclear Arsenal

Iran Urges Nuclear Disarmament in the Region

TEHRAN, February 16, 2010, (FNA)-

Iran on Tuesday called for the dismantlement and annihilation of all nuclear weapons in the region, singling out Israel as the sole nuclear threat to the Middle-East.

"We fully support denuclearization of the Middle-East region, we have been one of the pioneers of this plan (nuclear disarmament)," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast said in his weekly press conference.

"We and Egypt were among the first countries proposing the plan for a nuclear-free region, and the pragmatic concept of this approach (plan) pertains to the Zionist regime and the nuclear weapons that it possesses," he added, describing Israel as the only nuclear threat to the region.

Israel possesses hundreds of nuclear warheads while it is not a signatory to the NPT or any other international convention. The Zionist regime has never allowed UN inspectors to visit its nuclear sites or arsenals.

Asked about the remarks by Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal on Iran's nuclear program and nuclear disarmament of the region, he reiterated that Faisal's words did not focus on Iran, but rather meant a disarmament and stop of military nuclear programs and activities in the region, specifically those carried out by the Zionist regime of Israel.

The spokesman further underlined that Iran views the endeavors made by the regional countries to dismantle and annihilate atomic weapons as a "completely positive approach".

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 amid strong opposition by the US, Britain, France, Israel and a number of western countries.

Elsewhere, Mehman-Parast referred to Iran's policy in its relations with the Arab countries, and said that in its talks with the Arab states, Tehran has pursued an approach which is based on cooperation, convergence and partnership in a bid to obviate real threats and attain stability, security and development.

We believe that such an approach and path could render help to the improvement of the situation in the region, he added.

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