Eurasia Press & News
The following is the full text of Iran’s statement on Agenda Item 8 of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors addressed to the Board chairman by Iran’s Permanent Representative to the IAEA Ali Asqar Soltanieh. In the Name of God
Mr. Chairman,
At the outset I would like to associate myself with the statement delivered by the distinguished Ambassador of Cuba on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement expressing great concern of the NAM over the possession of nuclear weapons by Israeli Regime which pose a serious and continuing threat to the peace and security of the region and other states and condemning Israel on its action and the statement made by Israeli Prime Minister regarding Israeli’s possession of nuclear weapons.
Mr. Chairman,
Islamic Republic of Iran expresses its appreciation to the Non-Aligned Movement for their constant support on the speedy establishment of a nuclear weapons free zone in the Middle East. As a State party to all international instruments banning WMD, Iran was the first country initiated the idea of the establishment of a Nuclear Weapons Free Zone as an important disarmament measure in the Middle East in 1974, followed by the annual resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly.
Despite the repeated calls by the international community demonstrated in the continuous adoption of the UNGA resolutions, the resolution on the Middle East adopted by the 1995 NPT Review Conference, as well as the related resolutions and decisions of the IAEA, Non-Aligned Movement and the Organization of the Islamic Conference, being confident of the political and military support of the United States and receiving technical assistance from US, including through 2000 US-Israel nuclear Agreement, Israeli Regime has neither acceded to the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) nor placed its unwarranted nuclear facilities under IAEA full-Scope Safeguards.
Israel as the only non-party to the NPT in the region, has not even declared its intention to denounce and abandon its weapons of mass destruction programs and to accede to the NPT. Israel clandestine and prohibited nuclear activities, with the support of the United States, seriously threaten both regional peace and security and endanger the non-proliferation regime.
Mr. Chairman,
The United States and United Kingdom which have pushed the Security Council to take groundless punitive measures against Iran’s Safeguarded peaceful nuclear program, have systematically prevented the Security Council from taking any action to nudge the Israeli regime towards submitting itself to the nuclear non-proliferation regime. By doing so, they have provided this regime with wide latitude and even encouragement to indulge freely in the clandestine development and prohibited possession of nuclear weapons in defiance of international community’s call and in contravention to international law, and even publicly announcing it with impunity.
It is undisputable that nuclear weapons in the hands of the Israeli regime with an unparalleled record of non-compliance with the UN and IAEA resolutions and a long and dark catalogue of crimes and atrocity such as occupation, aggression, militarism, state terrorism, crime against humanity and apartheid pose a uniquely grave threat to the regional and international peace and security as it was stressed by the Non-Aligned Movement.
The continued inaction by the Security Council in the face of the actual threat of Israeli’s nuclear weapons to international peace and security has even encouraged Israeli officials to make public statements in which they made threats to attack the safeguarded peaceful nuclear facilities of the other countries.
Mr. Chairman,
Given the above mentioned facts and publicly announcing the possession of nuclear weapons by Israeli regime, the Agency and its Board of Governors should fulfill their responsibilities and obligations, and suspend the provision of any assistance to Israel under the Agency’s technical assistance and cooperation program in order to prevent any assistance to nuclear weapons program of this regime. Furthermore because of the seriousness of such threat, the Board needs to consider it in its Agenda, in order to explore ways and means to address such a great concern.
Mr. Chairman,
While Iran has been providing the Agency with access to all its nuclear material and facilities pursuant to its NPT Safeguards Agreement and the Agency is able to verify the non-diversion of nuclear material in Iran (as reflected in paragraphs 26-27 of the report), few countries have been making daily threat of resort to attack Iranian fully safeguarded peaceful nuclear facilities uttered at their highest levels, in clear violation of Article2 (4) of the UN Charter.
The Islamic republic of Iran has already documented these unlawful and dangerous threats by sending official letters to the UN Secretary General and the Director General of the IAEA.
And while overwhelming majority of the international community has been calling for a peaceful negotiated solution and Iran has announced its readiness for such a solution, the United States and Israel which both have a high record of vertical and horizontal proliferation activities are continuing to make threats against Iran’s full-scope safeguarded facilities. Needless to say that Iran’s indigenously developed nuclear technology and “knowledge can not be bombed”, as it was expressed by the Director General.
It is worth mentioning that as it was recognized by this Board in its previous resolutions, the act of aggression against the safeguarded nuclear installations constitutes an attack against the Agency.
Moreover, it was also emphasized by 188 NPT States Parties in the final document of the 2000 NPT Review Conference that” attack or threats of attack on nuclear facilities devoted to peaceful purposes jeopardize nuclear safety, have dangerous political, economic and environmental implications and raise serious concerns regarding the application of international law on the use of force in such cases, which could warrant appropriate action in accordance with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.”
Such attack or threat of attack on a safeguarded nuclear facility, in operation or under construction would create a situation in which according to the operative paragraph 3 of the General Conference Resolution GC(XXIV)Res/533, “the United Nations Security Council would have to act immediately in accordance with the provisions of the United Nations Charter.” Obviously the continued inaction of the Security Council in such critical cases may jeopardize the national security and interests of the country under attack or threat of attack.
Given the current and past behavior of the Israeli Regime in making threats against the safeguarded nuclear facilities of other countries, the Agency and its Board of Governors should fulfill their responsibilities and obligations on such a grave concern.
Thank you for your attention.
