IAEA must probe Israeli nuke arsenal

Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said on Tuesday that the IAEA should find out how the Zionist regime has been armed with nuclear weapons and put the issue on its agenda.

Mottaki made the remarks in a UN-sponsored conference on disarmament in Geneva.

The Foreign Minister also called for dismantling of nuclear weapons worldwide.

Highlighting the challenges facing the international community in restoring security to the world, he said resort to military means instead of adopting peaceful approaches based on UN Charter will be a dangerous method which should be avoided.

"Military doctrines which are based on pre-emptive attacks are not justified and run counter to the spirit and content of the UN Charter," he said.

Imposing illegal and unjustifiable economic sanctions against other countries, misuse of international organizations and institutions to meet interests of certain powers, raising baseless allegations against other countries under pretext of so-called con cerns about proliferation of nuclear weapons, distorting realities and deceiving world public opinion are among challenges facing the international community, Mottaki said.

The international community is very concerned about existence of thousands of nuclear war heads stockpiled in the arsenals of some nuclear countries, he said.

Wielding veto powers and taking advantage of nuclear weapons have turned into a bargaining chip for illegitimate rights of certain powers, Mottaki said.

"Nuclear weapons are as illegal as chemical and microbiological weapons and their illegitimacy should be confirmed by conventions banning proliferation of nuclear weapons," he said.

The Zionist regime's access to nuclear arms and other weapons of massdestructions is now regarded as a source of threat and insecurity in the Middle East region, Mottaki said and criticized the big powers's ignorance of the illegal activities of the fabr icated regime.

Iran along with other countries which are aware of this fact are ready to launch a probe into the issue, he said.

The Foreign Minister welcomed proposal made by Russia and China on a draft resolution banning deployment of military hardware in outer space and expressed the hope that the efforts to prevent an arm race would lead to peaceful use of outer space to help humanity.

Mottaki also criticized the UN approach to the crimes and atrocities of the Zionist regime in Gaza Strip.

In conclusion, the Minister briefed the audience on peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear activities.