West uses ‘shameful double standard’ in dealing with nuclear Israel: Iran Foreign Ministry

The spokesman of Iran’s Foreign Ministry has slammed Western countries for following double standards in dealing with Israel's non-peaceful nuclear program, noting that West’s disregard for this issue has turned the Zionist regime into a major base for state terrorism.

Saeed Khatibzadeh made the remarks in a Monday presser when he was asked why the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and European countries show no sensitivity toward non-peaceful nuclear program of Israel.

“Unfortunately, the West follows a double and very shameful standard [as a result of which] it not only refrains from putting pressure on this [Zionist] regime to join [the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty] and disarm, but also provides this illegitimate regime with everything at its disposal to [encourage it to] violate the international system and pose a permanent threat to the region and the world,” Iran’s spokesman said.

“As an illegitimate entity, which has turned into a base for state-sponsored terrorism, the Zionist regime has created very dangerous conditions for the region and the entire world,” Khatibzadeh added.

The rogue Israeli regime, which does not abide by international law, sits on top of hundreds of nuclear warheads and pursues an active military nuclear program, he emphasized.

Iran's spokesman added, "The [Zionist] regime persistently refuses to join the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and any other international regulatory regime in this area, has rejected the Safeguards Agreement, and is known and disgraced as a rogue regime in the international system and with regard to the nuclear nonproliferation regime."

It is only natural that Iran and its allied countries and Muslim states would pursue a Middle East region free of nuclear weapons, Khatibzadeh said, adding, "This plan has been proposed many times and it was last boycotted by the United States for the sake of this [Zionist] regime. [However,] we will continue on this path."

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman emphasized, "This [Zionist] regime is in no position to speak about the NPT member states that are committed to peaceful regulations of nuclear energy.”

The Israeli regime, which has refused to allow inspections of its nuclear facilities or sign the NPT, pursues a policy of deliberate ambiguity about its nuclear weapons and is estimated to have 200 to 400 nuclear warheads in its arsenal.

Iran underlines importance of US, Israel’s nuclear disarmament

Iran’s UN envoy underlines the need for disarmament of the world’s nuclear weapon possessors, most importantly the US and Israel.

As stipulated in Article VI of the NPT, all parties to the treaty are obliged to pursue good-faith negotiations on effective measures with regard to nuclear disarmament and the cessation of nuclear arms race.

While defying international calls to put its nuclear activities under the IAEA surveillance, the regime accuses Iran, among the first countries to sign the NPT, of seeking nukes, and has sought to kill the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which is lauded as a great achievement in international diplomacy, and threatened to target the country's nuclear facilities in total violation of international law.   

Israel’s minister of military affairs Benny Gantz has called on the signatories of the Iran nuclear deal, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), to impose sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

“Iran does not respect the agreements it has signed, and there’s no reason to believe it will respect any agreements it will sign in the future. The time has come for action,” he said.

In a similar anti-Iran allegation last week, Israel’s Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said, “Iran’s march towards a nuclear weapon is not only an Israeli problem; it’s a problem for the entire world.”

“The world needs to stop Iran from getting a nuclear capability, no matter the price. If the world doesn’t do it, Israel reserves the right to act,” Lapid said, threatening Iran with war.

In response, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman underlined the Islamic Republic’s right to respond against any act of aggression by the Israeli regime and pointed out that Iran, unlike Israel, is a member of the NPT.

Iran blasts Israel as' West’s darling, habitual extorter'

The Iranian Foreign Ministry has reacted to Israel’s baseless allegations about the Islamic Republic’s nuclear activities, calling the Tel Aviv regime the West’s darling and a habitual extorter.

“Outlaw Israeli regime—sitting on illicit nukes & refusing to join NPT—again threatens NPT member Iran; a nation w world's most inspected nuclear program,” Khatibzadeh wrote in a tweet.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk