TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iran’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the Conference on Disarmament Esmaeil Baqeri Hamaneh slammed the silence of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in face of the hidden nuclear activities of Saudi Arabia as well as Israel’s nuclear arms activities.
In a statement to the conference, he said the double standards of the issue by the organization put its claim of impartiality and professional credit under question, IRNA reported on Friday.
“While the Israeli regime, the only possessor of nuclear weapons in our region, persists in its blatant defiance of international law by refusing to become committed to relevant international legal regimes and by further enriching its nuclear arsenal, Saudi Arabia’s nuclear program is adding another complexity to the already volatile region,” the Iranian official said.
“Saudi Arabia, as a member of the NPT [Non-Proliferation Treaty], of course has the right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes and which we fully recognize. However, despite the fact that Saudi Arabia is a party to the NPT and has a Comprehensive Safeguard Agreement with the IAEA, it has questionably failed to abide by its commitments,” he added.
- source : Iran Daily, Irannews
