Iran urges chemical weapons annihilation by late April 2012

ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency

Service: Nuclear Energy
1390/03/22
06-12-2011
12:34:28
News Code :9003-13643

TEHRAN (ISNA)-Iran called for annihilation of chemical weapons by April 29, 2012.

"We call for all countries which have chemical weapons to abide by the set date of April 29, 2012 for complete destruction of their chemical weapons and do their utmost to carry out the job by the timetable," Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said in the second International Nuclear Disarmament Conference in Tehran on Sunday.

The Chemical Weapons Convention requires all countries with chemical weapons to destroy all chemical arms by April 29, 2012.

"Certain countries own some 23,000 nuclear warheads, 10,000 of which are in operational phase. 2,000 have been placed in the highest alert level that could be launched in minutes. The danger of use of the arms is possible as long as they exist and are getting upgraded," he said.

"Any intentional or unintentional use of nuclear weapon leads to an unbelievable catastrophe," Salehi continued.

Iranian Chief Diplomat also added, "unfortunately, nuclear regimes continue to deploy tactical and strategic weapons and upgrade them."

"Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty (NPT) has become binding since 4 decades ago. Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty Review Conference is held every five years and has made obligations for nuclear countries, but I dare say no meaningful advance has come in nuclear disarmament so far. Nuclear countries continue to elevate strategic position of the weapons and conclude limited and bilateral treaties instead of actualizing dismantlement of nuclear weapons."

"Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (Start) is of the treaties which the international community has had no chance to influence it and the treaty has not made a clear and comprehensive landscape for nuclear disarmament except a little mechanism."

Salehi continued, "Zionist regime as the main element of terror, violence and unrest in the region which holds all kinds of weapons of mass destruction and nuclear installments which go beyond the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Safeguards Treaty has represented a serious threat to the region."

He also called for the international community to press Zionist regime to join NPT and allow the IAEA inspectors to visit its nuclear facilities to create stability in the Middle East and prevent any possible proliferation of nuclear weapons.

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