He made the remarks in the Quarterly meeting of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Thursday evening, Mehr News Agency (MNA) reported.

Gharibabadi explained Iran’s stance on the West Asia (Middle East) nuclear weapons free zone and the Zionist regime’s nuclear capabilities.

Referring to the 50th anniversary of the NPT and regretting that this treaty is still a long way from globalization, he said, “Among those outside the treaty, some have made their accession conditional on the creation of a ‘special atmosphere’ and others are reluctant to do so because of the threat posed by nuclear weapons states.”

“Undoubtedly, after the failure to agree on the final outcome of the Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference in 2015, simply because of the three countries’ protests in support of a non-NPT member, the NPT Review Conference in 2021 will be a strong milestone for the world community to see if multilateralism is still effective in the field of arms control and disarmament,” he added.

Noting that the issue of the NPT and the nuclear-weapon-free Middle East should be addressed without prejudice, he said, “We believe that ignoring such an important issue directly affects regional and international peace and stability, challenges global arms control norms, and undermines the validity and sustainability of the current disarmament and arms control structure, including the IAEA and the safeguards regime,” Gharibabadi highlighted.

“That’s why we emphasize that ignoring the review of the status of the nuclear facilities and the activities of the Israeli regime, especially in the absence of IAEA safeguards, is a very dangerous step,” he added.

He went on to say, “All the countries except regime of Israel in the the West Asia are members of the NPT and has pledged to accept the IAEA’s comprehensive safeguards. Therefore, the regime’s covert acquisition of nuclear weapons is a serious threat to the security and stability of the region and the world.”

Noting that opposition to the Israeli nuclear issue means rejecting all practical steps taken to create a nuclear-weapon-free West Asia region, he said, “We strongly believe that by ignoring legitimate regional and international concerns about the Israeli regime’s refusal to adhere to the NPT, it and its supporters are deliberately violating all international norms and regulations.”

“The immediate and unconditional accession of the Israeli regime to the NPT and the placement of all its nuclear materials, activities and facilities under the Agency’s comprehensive safeguards are necessary steps to alleviate the current nuclear crisis in the West Asia,” Gharibabadi added.

“The Agency should not be influenced by political considerations in this regard and should not, on behalf of one of the parties in the region, describe the political situation in the region in its reports,” he stressed.

“Professional logic therefore requires the Agency to take steps to implement safeguards throughout the West Asia,” he added.