IFP Exclusive

Israel Crying Wolf about Proliferation, Zarif Tells UNGA Meeting

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has blasted the United States over its blind support for Israel, the sole possessor of nuclear weapons in the region.

The Iranian foreign minister said the “outlaw regime” that has openly threatened others with nuclear annihilation is crying wolf about proliferation.

He made the remarks in a virtual speech to the UN General Assembly’s High-level Plenary Meeting to Commemorate and Promote the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.

What follows is the full text of Foreign Minister Zarif’s Friday speech:
Mr. President,
75 years after the US dropped atomic bombs on innocent civilians in Hiroshima and Nagasaki—the first and only use of such horrific weapons—this meeting provides a unique opportunity to mobilize the world to liberate humanity from the nuclear nightmare.

25 years after the NPT Review and Extension Conference called for reduced reliance on nuclear weapons and the ICJ ordered good faith efforts towards nuclear disarmament, the US is developing new nuclear weapons and recklessly lowering the threshold of their deployment. It has further caused immense damage to the NPT by unlawfully withdrawing from the INF and the JCPOA.

 

Additionally, the world’s lone perpetrator of a nuclear attack extends blind support to the sole possessor of nuclear arsenal in our region: an outlaw regime that has openly threatened others with nuclear annihilation, all while crying wolf about proliferation.

The international community must compel Israel—which has aggression in its very DNA—to promptly accede to the NPT and destroy its nuclear arsenal. And given its six decades of deception and clandestine development of nuclear weapons, it must be compelled to submit to the most intrusive inspection regime that law-abiding members of the NPT observe.

We also call on the General Assembly to declare as a binding norm of international law that a nuclear war cannot be won—and must never be fought. This should be followed by a long-overdue, concrete program for time-bound nuclear disarmament and provision of security assurances to non-nuclear-weapon states in the interim.
Dear Friends,

Last year, $72.9 billion was spent on nuclear weapons—half of it by the US alone. This is higher than the GDP of most countries. Just imagine if the billions wasted on instruments of global annihilation were allocated to help fund the fight against COVID-19.

Enough is enough.

Thank you.

IFP Editorial Staff

The IFP Editorial Staff is composed of dozens of skilled journalists, news-writers, and analysts whose works are edited and published by experienced editors specialized in Iran News. The editor of each IFP Service is responsible for the report published by the Iran Front Page (IFP) news website, and can be contacted through the ways mentioned in the "IFP Editorial Staff" section.

Recent Posts

Legendary Iranian actress, voice performer Zhaleh Olov passes away

Zhaleh Olov, a celebrated actress of Iranian cinema, theater, television, and a renowned radio voice…

54 minutes ago

Iran says has not in direct contact with Syria’s new rulers

Iran has dismissed any direct contact with the rebel group that has taken power in…

1 hour ago

Italy warns Russia’s threat to Europe much wider than imagined

Moscow’s threat to Europe extends beyond defense to illegal immigration and cybersecurity, Italian Prime Minister…

1 hour ago

Deputy FM raps US for holding Iranians hostage

A deputy Iranian foreign minister has criticized Washington for taking Iranian nationals hostage under the…

4 hours ago

Iran’s interior minister warns population crisis looms

Iranian Interior Minister, Eskandar Momeni, has raised alarms over the nation's declining population growth, warning…

4 hours ago

US suggests Ukraine consider ceding territories: El Pais

US President-elect Donald Trump has sent a message to Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, asking him…

5 hours ago