Iran has been nominated for a vice-presidential position at a month-long UN conference to review the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), drawing international condemnation.
The 11th conference to review implementation of the NPT, which came into force in 1970, began on Monday at the United Nations in New York. Different groups nominated 34 conference vice presidents.
The conference chair, Vietnam’s UN ambassador Do Hung Viet, said Iran was picked by “the group of non-aligned and other states.”
The US Representative to the UN made clear that the US objected to Iran’s nomination, calling it an “affront to the NPT itself.”
“We are deeply shocked that this body has chosen to allow Iran to assume any position of leadership at this review conference,” the representative said.
The Australian representative also called Iran unfit to hold the vice president position.
“Holding such a position damages the credibility of this review conference,” he said.
Iranian representative claims double standard
However, the Iranian representative claimed Iran has consistently adhered to the NPT, while the US has not.
The representative called for the qualification for serving as vice president to be applied uniformly, and stated that the US’s nuclear arsenal and actions to “undermine disarmament efforts” violated the treaty.
Iran’s representative cited the US and Israeli attacks in Operation Midnight Hammer and in Operations Roaring Lion and Epic Fury on “peaceful nuclear facilities, facilities that are under the safeguard of the International Atomic Energy Agency,” as “a direct assault on the integrity of the global non-proliferation.
E3, UAE object to nomination
The representative from the United Kingdom, speaking for the E3 (the United Kingdom, France, and Germany), also put on record their concerns regarding Iran’s position on the general committee.
The United Arab Emirates objected to Iran’s position as vice president, stating that with Iran’s continuous violations of its safeguard obligations and obstructions of the work of the IAEA, Iran’s election to the position would be antithetical to the values of the NPT.
Additionally, the representative of the UAE said that Iran’s “unlawful and brutal actions since 28 February have been in direct contrast to the aims and spirit of this review conference.”
“If a state party can disregard its obligations, undermine verification, destabilize its region, threaten international waterways, and still be elevated to a leadership position in this process, then we must ask what message this conference is sending,” the representative said.
Russia defends Iran
Russia’s representative stepped in to defend Iran, accusing the US, the UK, Australia, and the UAE of “political attacks.”
The representative claimed the conference had been immediately politicized and called on “all delegations who have criticism, who take issue with what’s happening…to express these during the general discussion.