Iran lauds Arab-sponsored resolution pressing Israel to join NPT

THERAN, Sept. 29 (MNA) – Iran’s permanent envoy to IAEA Ali Asghar Soltanieh has welcomed an Arab-sponsored resolution urging Israel to join the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

At the annual meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna on Friday, Arab member states issued a resolution called “Israeli Nuclear Capabilities” urging Israel to join the NPT.

Of the nations present, 51 voted against the resolution, 46 voted for, and 23 abstained.

The resolution opened a new chapter in global efforts to deal with the issue of Israel’s nuclear capabilities, Soltanieh said in Tehran on Tuesday.

He said the significance of the resolution is that it broke 20 years of inaction on Israel’s nuclear capabilities, adding efforts will continue until Israel brings its nuclear activities under the IAEA watch.

He went on to say that Gary Samore, U.S. President Barack Obama’s senior nuclear advisor, lobbied the IAEA member states to stop the resolution.

If the resolution had not been issued, the credibility of the Arab nations would have been undermined, the diplomat noted.

Thus Iran and other countries had insisted that the resolution be submitted to the IAEA even if it would not garner a majority vote, Soltanieh added.