Tehran International Conference on Disarmament and Non-Proliferation, 2010
Encyclopedia
Iran
convened a conference titled "International Disarmament and Non-proliferation: World Security without Weapons of Mass Destruction" on 17 and 18 April 2010 in Tehran
. The theme of the conference was Nuclear Energy for All, Nuclear Weapons for No One.
The conference resulted in Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's call for action toward the elimination of all nuclear weapons.
treaty was signed on April 8, 2010, in Prague
by U.S. President Barack Obama
and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
. This treaty resumed the START process of reducing the number of nuclear weapons in the two nations, for the first time requiring verifiability between them.
The conference was held just days after a Nuclear Security Summit was held in Washington, D.C.
on April 12–14 over the security of "vulnerable nuclear material." This conference was viewed as a counterpoint to the Washington summit. Its intention was to prove Iran's national and political will for the eradication of nuclear weapons, where Iran said the chemical weapons convention determined such weapons should be destroyed but the United States had chosen to ignore it.
In May 2010, the review conference for the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) was held at United Nations headquarters
in New York City
.
In May 2009, the EastWest Institute
released a joint U.S.-Russian Threat Assessment on Iran's Nuclear and Missile Potential. The report said there was no specific evidence that Iran was seeking the ability to attack Europe and that "it is indeed difficult to imagine the circumstances in which Iran would do so." It added that if Iran did pursue this capability, it would need six to eight years to develop a missile capable of carrying a 1,000 kilogram warhead 2,000 kilometers; and that Iran ending "IAEA containment and surveillance of the nuclear material and all installed cascades at the Fuel Enrichment Plan" might serve as an early warning of Iranian intentions. The report concluded that there was "no IRBM/ICBM threat from Iran and that such a threat, even if it were to emerge, is not imminent." Incoming Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency
, Yukiya Amano
said he had not seen any evidence in IAEA official documents that Iran was seeking the ability to develop nuclear weapons.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki
said he had "stressed that nuclear energy must be for everybody. While[the Washington summit] discussed the protection of nuclear material, in this coming conference we will emphasise the necessity of disarmament."
Ayatollah
Seyyed Ali Khamenei sent a message to the nuclear disarmament conference clarifying that "Iran regards utilising nuclear weapons as forbidden in Islam
and it is incumbent on everyone to safeguard humanity from such weapons," while "every nation is entitled to the peaceful use of this technology." He called the U.S. the world's "only nuclear scofflaw" for its advocating of arms control while maintaining a huge nuclear arsenal of its own as well as support for Israel notwithstanding their atomic arsenal
despite not being a signatory of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT). (The U.S. and Iran are signatories of the NPT).
Ahmadinejad said that "threatening with nuclear weapons only dishonoured the American government officials and more fully exposed their inhumane and aggressive policies." He also called for more rigorous action than that outlined by the U.S. summit. His comments drew applause when he called for the destruction of all atomic weapons, starting with those in the U.S. arsenal. He further called on the U.S. to end its "blind support" for Israel, which he estimated has 200 atomic warheads but has failed to sign the NPT, of which Iran and the U.S. are both signatories. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reiterated a religious edict he had issued earlier against the use of all nuclear weapons, and called the nuclear arsenal of the U.S. "tools of terror and intimidation." Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said that a nuclear weapons-free Middle East requires "the Zionist regime to join the NPT." This was seen as a call for Israel to join the NPT and open up its nuclear facilities to international inspectors. The Secretary General of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, added that "Israel should ink the NPT without any waste of time," adding that the Middle East should be turned into a region free from nuclear weapons. He also called for tangible measures in this regard, and cautioned that "Either you should destroy the WMDs or they will kill us."
The head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation Ali Akbar Salehi
said the NPT was under threat as it currently stood. "If countries armed with nuclear weapons want to respect and bolster NPT, they should fully fulfill their pledges to this end. There is no doubt that [the] continuation of [a] nuclear arms race and adoption of dual-standard policies in dealing with peaceful nuclear energy will create a challenge for the world. If policies such as selective approaches, use of language of threat, unjust and dual standard polices are not halted at the earliest opportunities, NPT will lose its legitimacy and the IAEA will be deviated from its main principles." He added that "interference [from] certain western countries [are] weakening of the NPT's letter of association, the body is now serving [the] United Nations Security Council which pursues politically-motivated policies of [a] few countries." In this vein, the Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council of Iran
, Saeed Jalili
, called for strengthening of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) as the only way to stop nuclear proliferation. According to IRNA, Jalili said "preventing Major powers from imposing their influence on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is another way of promoting nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation and strengthening of NPT." As Iranian chief nuclear negotiator, Jalili, underlined Tehran's commitment to dialogue to remove concerns through the implementation of undertakings of all the relevant sides. He put forward a proposal which consists of three pillars:
Iran's ambassador to the IAEA said he had offered proposals for a better future for the IAEA.
Ahmadinejad called for "an independent international group which plans and oversees nuclear disarmament and prevents proliferation...This group should act in a way where all independent countries and governments could have a say and role in running the affairs of that group. Until now the presence and political domination of the agency has prevented them from carrying out their duties and has diverted the agency from performing its legal obligations." He also took blows at the United States in saying "[Those who] possess, have used or threatened to use nuclear weapons [should] be suspended from the IAEA and its board of governors, especially the US which has used a weapon made of atomic waste in the Iraq war." He suggested that the United States and its vast arsenal of atomic warheads was delaying the long-awaited prospect of global nuclear disarmament. He said its so-called deterrence policy had been the primary reason behind the proliferation of WMD
's in recent years. "Washington has not only applied nuclear weapons against other nations, but has for years threatened to use weapons of mass destruction against world countries in order to gain the upper hand...such countries should be stripped of their membership to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). They have no place [in the UN nuclear watchdog] or its Board of Governors." Iran's ambassador to the IAEA said he had offered proposals to better the body in the future.
On April 18, Iran's Foreign Minister indicated that "Iran plans to hold talks with all 15 members of the UN Security Council in an effort to break a deadlock over a nuclear fuel deal." Mottaki said "The talks will focus on the fuel exchange [deal]. They will be conducted by Iran's missions in those countries. In principle the issue of fuel exchange has been agreed upon ... We think ... details could be worked out."
to prevent the conference from going through because they feared the conference would question their own sincerity to international community and adding that "A few colonial powers seek to monopolize production of nuclear energy and deprive other of it. It is among [the] legitimate rights of every nation to make use of nuclear technology and no one is authorized to deprive them of such a privilege. Meanwhile, Mottaki closed the conference saying that "Those who think of attacking Iran are playing with fire. They will very well realize the consequences of their actions. "We don't believe they will attack. We do not see they have the capacity on the ground." He also called the conference a success because the participants achieved the goal of highlighting the necessity of nuclear disarmament.
Unofficial reaction came from such places as the academics at the University of Tehran
, one of whom suggested that "Most countries in the world do feel that the UN Security Council as well as the IAEA board of governors is not democratic, so it is something that most people in the south have a great deal of sympathy with. The problem that Iran is facing right now is the fact that western countries are very much biased against the country. So he is using this opportunity to point out Iran's position and show that it is a very reasonable and logical one and the reason that Iran is unable to get its voice across is because these bodies are undemocratic."
Lebanon / The Foreign Ministers of Iraq, Lebanon and Syria also supported Iran's right to nuclear technoloy while condemning Israel's nuclear arsenal. Syria's Walid Muallem
said "We back Iran for pursuing peaceful nuclear technology. The major threat in the region is Israel which has nuclear warheads. Israel must join this treaty and take quick steps to destroy its nuclear weapons which number over 200 warheads." His Lebanese counterpart, Ali al-Shami, said Iran was seeking "nuclear energy for peaceful aims and it was not deviating from the treaty." Adding that Israel needed to be "stripped" off its nuclear arsenal. "There is more need to strip Israel of its nuclear arsenal, as the international community is aware of its nuclear weapons capability and that this regime has defiantly declared it will use these weapons whenever it wants. Since the atomic weapons of the Zionist regime are not inspected, there is a danger of these weapons being used in future. This regime must join the NPT without any conditions." Iraq's Hoshyar Zebari chimed in that "We reject any threat against Iran and insist on Iran's rights to use peaceful nuclear energy." On the sidelines Iran's parliamentary speaker and Lebanon's Shami also criticised Israel. Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani
said Muslim states must try to prevent Israel from "implementing its hostile plans" because they have "a religious responsibility" to do so. "The Muslim ummah must take serious and practical steps against the immeasurable number of atrocities carried out by Israel in various parts of Palestine especially, [Jerusalem] al-Quds." He called Lebanon "the symbol of resistance against Israel," and praised the Lebanese determination to fight Israel. Shami said the Lebanon would never forget the support Iran has shown to Lebanon's resistance movement. He added that Israel's policies toward the region were focused on expansionist policies, therefore "Islamic and Arab states in the region and around the world need to take a steadfast stance against Israel's evil policies that include the Judisization of al-Quds."
} Upon returning home after the conference Lebanon's foreign minister called for the UN to pressure Israel: "Regional and international communities should pressure the Security Council into imposing sanctions against Israel."
The Russian Deputy Foreign Minister at the conference "called for more confidence-building measures from Tehran to allay international concerns over its nuclear program". Russia added that the conference "is an excellent opportunity to have a free-flowing exchange of views on some critical issues. We are discussing scenarios and the way to go forward to this goal [of having nuclear energy for all, and nuclear weapons for none. [World powers, however, remain united over] a set of issues that are not resolved that maybe considered satisfactory by the United States and some other countries."
Oman said the conference is indicative of Iran's peaceful nuclear programme: "The Islamic Republic of Iran emphasizes that it is pursuing a peaceful, and not - as certain states claim - a military (nuclear) goal. We have taken part in the Tehran conference in a bid to reemphasize that Iran's nuclear program is peaceful."
Singapore disavowed the statement Iran issued after the conference, saying "The ministry said there was no agreement among delegates to the Tehran Conference to issue such a document, and 'neither was there any discussion on the contents of the document."
The U.S.A., amongst other countries, also welcomed the Iranian decision to resume talk on a nuclear fuel swap.
Former Iranian president Mohammad Khatami
was encouraged not to attend another nuclear disarmament conference in Hiroshima
, Japan
. His aide claimed there was an outright ban on him leaving the country.
A day after the conference, Iran staged its annual military parade where it displayed missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
convened a conference titled "International Disarmament and Non-proliferation: World Security without Weapons of Mass Destruction" on 17 and 18 April 2010 in Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
. The theme of the conference was Nuclear Energy for All, Nuclear Weapons for No One.
The conference resulted in Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's call for action toward the elimination of all nuclear weapons.
Background
The New STARTNew START
New START is a nuclear arms reduction treaty between the United States of America and the Russian Federation with the formal name of Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms...
treaty was signed on April 8, 2010, in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
by U.S. President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev is the third President of the Russian Federation.Born to a family of academics, Medvedev graduated from the Law Department of Leningrad State University in 1987. He defended his dissertation in 1990 and worked as a docent at his alma mater, now renamed to Saint...
. This treaty resumed the START process of reducing the number of nuclear weapons in the two nations, for the first time requiring verifiability between them.
The conference was held just days after a Nuclear Security Summit was held in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
on April 12–14 over the security of "vulnerable nuclear material." This conference was viewed as a counterpoint to the Washington summit. Its intention was to prove Iran's national and political will for the eradication of nuclear weapons, where Iran said the chemical weapons convention determined such weapons should be destroyed but the United States had chosen to ignore it.
In May 2010, the review conference for the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) was held at United Nations headquarters
United Nations headquarters
The headquarters of the United Nations is a complex in New York City. The complex has served as the official headquarters of the United Nations since its completion in 1952. It is located in the Turtle Bay neighborhood of Manhattan, on spacious grounds overlooking the East River...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
In May 2009, the EastWest Institute
EastWest Institute
The EastWest Institute , originally known as the Institute for East West Security Studies, is an international not-for-profit, non-partisan "think and do" tank focusing on international conflict resolution through a variety of means, including track 2 diplomacy and track 1.5 diplomacy , hosting...
released a joint U.S.-Russian Threat Assessment on Iran's Nuclear and Missile Potential. The report said there was no specific evidence that Iran was seeking the ability to attack Europe and that "it is indeed difficult to imagine the circumstances in which Iran would do so." It added that if Iran did pursue this capability, it would need six to eight years to develop a missile capable of carrying a 1,000 kilogram warhead 2,000 kilometers; and that Iran ending "IAEA containment and surveillance of the nuclear material and all installed cascades at the Fuel Enrichment Plan" might serve as an early warning of Iranian intentions. The report concluded that there was "no IRBM/ICBM threat from Iran and that such a threat, even if it were to emerge, is not imminent." Incoming Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency
International Atomic Energy Agency
The International Atomic Energy Agency is an international organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. The IAEA was established as an autonomous organization on 29 July 1957...
, Yukiya Amano
Yukiya Amano
is the current Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency , having been elected to the position in July 2009. Amano previously served as a Japanese diplomat and international civil servant for the United Nations and its subdivisions....
said he had not seen any evidence in IAEA official documents that Iran was seeking the ability to develop nuclear weapons.
Participants
Experts and officials from about 60 countries were invited to the conference. However, as of April 15 only 35 countries had indicated they would send delegations, 24 of whom would be Foreign or Deputy Foreign Ministers. Many non-governmental organisations were also to be present.| Country | Name | Title |
|---|---|---|
 Arab League |
Vael al-Assad | Representative |
| Atomic Energy Organization of Iran | Ali Akbar Salehi Ali Akbar Salehi Ali Akbar Salehi is an Iranian politician, diplomat and academic and the current Minister of Foreign Affairs since 13 December 2010. Previous to his appointment as Minister of Foreign Affairs, he was Head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran from 16 July 2009 to 13 December 2010... |
Vice President and Head |
| CTBTO | Jean Du Preez | Representative |
 International Atomic Energy Agency |
||
 Organization of the Islamic Conference |
Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu is a Turkish academic, diplomat and currently the Secretary-General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation , the second largest intergovernmental organisation after the United Nations... |
Secretary General |
 United Nations |
Taijiro Kimura | Director of the UN Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmmament for Asia and the Pacific |
 Armenia |
Edward Nalbandian Edward Nalbandian Edward G. Nalbandian was the owner of Zachary All Clothing, a store he opened in the 1950s at 5467 Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, California... |
Foreign Minister |
 Algeria |
Ben Shahedani | General Director of the Diplomatic Relationship and International Security of Algeria |
 Austria |
||
 Azerbaijan |
||
 Bangladesh |
||
 Belarus |
Victor Rybak | Ambassador |
 Belgium |
||
 Brazil |
||
 Brunei |
||
 Cape Verde |
||
 Central African Republic |
||
 Mainland China |
Cheng Guoping | Assistant Foreign Minister |
 Republic of the Congo |
||
 Cuba |
||
 Ecuador |
||
 Egypt |
||
 Early Modern France |
||
 Germany |
||
 Georgia (country) |
||
 Guyana |
||
 India |
Sh. Gaddam Dharmendra | General Director of Disarmament and International Security of India |
 Indonesia |
Marty Natalegawa | Minister of Foreign Affairs of Unitary Republic of Indonesia |
 Iran host |
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad | President |
 Iraq |
Jalal Talabani Jalal Talabani Jalal Talabani is the sixth and current President of Iraq, a leading Kurdish politician. He is the first non-Arab president of Iraq, although Abdul Kareem Qasim was half Kurdish.... / Hoshyar Zebari Hoshyar Zebari Hoshyar Zebari is the current Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iraq. A Kurd originally from Aqrah, a city in Iraqi Kurdistan, Zebari holds a masters degree in sociology from the University of Essex, England and studied political science in Jordan... |
President / Foreign Minister |
 Italy |
||
 Japan |
||
 Jordan |
||
 Kuwait |
Mohammad Abdullah Abu Al-Hassan | Special envoy |
| Lebanon |
Ali al-Shami | Minister of Foreign Affairs |
 Libya |
||
 Malaysia |
Dato Lee Chee Leong | Deputy Foreign Minister |
 New Zealand |
||
 Nicaragua |
||
 Oman |
Yussef bin Alawai bin Abdullah | Foreign Minister |
 Pakistan |
M. B. Abbasi | Ambassador |
 Paraguay |
||
 Philippines |
Ambassador | |
 Qatar |
Mahammed ben Abdollah al—Romeihi | Deputy Foreign Minister |
 Russia |
Sergei Ryabkov Sergei Ryabkov Sergei Ryabkov is the Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation.Ryabkov was born in Moscow in 1960. At age 22, in 1982, he graduated the Moscow State University of International Relations. Upon graduation, he immediately joined the Russian Foreign Ministry.In 1995, he worked in the Foreign... |
Deputy Foreign Minister |
 Senegal |
||
 Singapore |
Umej Bhatia | Counselor to the Foreign Minister |
 Sudan |
||
 Swaziland |
||
 Sweden |
||
 Switzerland |
||
| Walid Muallem Walid Muallem Walid al Muallem is the current Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates for Syria, and a long-time diplomat for that country.-Early life, education and career:... |
Foreign Minister | |
 Tajikistan |
||
 Tanzania |
Juma | Ambassador |
 Turkmenistan |
Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow / Rasid Meredov | President / Foreign Minister |
 Turkey |
Hakki Akil | Deputy Foreign Minister |
 Uganda |
Okello Oryem | Minister of State for International Affairs |
 United Arab Emirates |
||
 United Kingdom |
||
 Venezuela |
Jorge Valero | Deputy Foreign Minister |
 Zimbabwe |
Borniface Chidyausiku | Permanent Representative to the United Nations |
- The USA was officially registered as a participant, but denied having been invited (see controversies).
Issues
The conference was composed of three panels focusing on the following topics:- Disarmament challenges;
- International obligations of States for disarmament and non-proliferation and consequences of the continued existence of WMDs;
- Practical steps for the materialization of disarmament.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki
Manouchehr Mottaki
Manouchehr Mottaki is an Iranian politician and diplomat. He was the Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs. Whilst technically appointed by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, he is considered to be closer to more pragmatic conservative factions and during the 2005 presidential election, he was the campaign...
said he had "stressed that nuclear energy must be for everybody. While
Discussions
Supreme Leader of IranSupreme Leader of Iran
The Supreme Leader of Iran is the highest ranking political and religious authority in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The post was established by the constitution in accordance with the concept of Guardianship of the Islamic Jurists...
Ayatollah
Ayatollah
Ayatollah is a high ranking title given to Usuli Twelver Shī‘ah clerics. Those who carry the title are experts in Islamic studies such as jurisprudence, ethics, and philosophy and usually teach in Islamic seminaries. The next lower clerical rank is Hojatoleslam wal-muslemin...
Seyyed Ali Khamenei sent a message to the nuclear disarmament conference clarifying that "Iran regards utilising nuclear weapons as forbidden in Islam
Haraam
Haraam is an Arabic term meaning "forbidden", or "sacred". In Islam it is used to refer to anything that is prohibited by the word of Allah in the Qur'an or the Hadith Qudsi. Haraam is the highest status of prohibition given to anything that would result in sin when a Muslim commits it...
and it is incumbent on everyone to safeguard humanity from such weapons," while "every nation is entitled to the peaceful use of this technology." He called the U.S. the world's "only nuclear scofflaw" for its advocating of arms control while maintaining a huge nuclear arsenal of its own as well as support for Israel notwithstanding their atomic arsenal
Nuclear weapons and Israel
Israel is widely believed to be the sixth country in the world to have developed nuclear weapons and to be one of four nuclear-armed countries not recognized as a Nuclear Weapons State by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty , the others being India, Pakistan and North Korea...
despite not being a signatory of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT). (The U.S. and Iran are signatories of the NPT).
Ahmadinejad said that "threatening with nuclear weapons only dishonoured the American government officials and more fully exposed their inhumane and aggressive policies." He also called for more rigorous action than that outlined by the U.S. summit. His comments drew applause when he called for the destruction of all atomic weapons, starting with those in the U.S. arsenal. He further called on the U.S. to end its "blind support" for Israel, which he estimated has 200 atomic warheads but has failed to sign the NPT, of which Iran and the U.S. are both signatories. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reiterated a religious edict he had issued earlier against the use of all nuclear weapons, and called the nuclear arsenal of the U.S. "tools of terror and intimidation." Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said that a nuclear weapons-free Middle East requires "the Zionist regime to join the NPT." This was seen as a call for Israel to join the NPT and open up its nuclear facilities to international inspectors. The Secretary General of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, added that "Israel should ink the NPT without any waste of time," adding that the Middle East should be turned into a region free from nuclear weapons. He also called for tangible measures in this regard, and cautioned that "Either you should destroy the WMDs or they will kill us."
The head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation Ali Akbar Salehi
Ali Akbar Salehi
Ali Akbar Salehi is an Iranian politician, diplomat and academic and the current Minister of Foreign Affairs since 13 December 2010. Previous to his appointment as Minister of Foreign Affairs, he was Head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran from 16 July 2009 to 13 December 2010...
said the NPT was under threat as it currently stood. "If countries armed with nuclear weapons want to respect and bolster NPT, they should fully fulfill their pledges to this end. There is no doubt that [the] continuation of [a] nuclear arms race and adoption of dual-standard policies in dealing with peaceful nuclear energy will create a challenge for the world. If policies such as selective approaches, use of language of threat, unjust and dual standard polices are not halted at the earliest opportunities, NPT will lose its legitimacy and the IAEA will be deviated from its main principles." He added that "interference [from] certain western countries [are] weakening of the NPT's letter of association, the body is now serving [the] United Nations Security Council which pursues politically-motivated policies of [a] few countries." In this vein, the Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council of Iran
Supreme National Security Council
Supreme National Security Council is the national security council of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the current secretary of which is Saeed Jalili. This institution was founded during the 1989 revision of the constitution...
, Saeed Jalili
Saeed Jalili
Saeed Jalili, is an Iranian politician and the present secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council. On October 20, 2007, he replaced Ali Larijani as the secretary of the council and hence chief nuclear negotiator of Iran...
, called for strengthening of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) as the only way to stop nuclear proliferation. According to IRNA, Jalili said "preventing Major powers from imposing their influence on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is another way of promoting nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation and strengthening of NPT." As Iranian chief nuclear negotiator, Jalili, underlined Tehran's commitment to dialogue to remove concerns through the implementation of undertakings of all the relevant sides. He put forward a proposal which consists of three pillars:
- A clear timetable be drawn up for the elimination of all nuclear weapons and an international verification mechanism for the nuclear activities of nuclear-weapon states. This verification mechanism should be similar to the one used to verify the fulfillment of commitments by non-nuclear weapon states under article 3 of NPT.
- A fact-finding committee to be established by the IAEA to investigate the sources of proliferation of nuclear weapons to the Zionist regime and report the results of its findings to the Security Council and the General Assembly during current year.
- In the framework of nonproliferation measures, nuclear-weapon states be prohibited from any kind of nuclear cooperation with non-members and commit themselves not to transfer any kind of nuclear material, equipment and technology.
Iran's ambassador to the IAEA said he had offered proposals for a better future for the IAEA.
Results
A 15-point communique was released at the end of the conference.Ahmadinejad called for "an independent international group which plans and oversees nuclear disarmament and prevents proliferation...This group should act in a way where all independent countries and governments could have a say and role in running the affairs of that group. Until now the presence and political domination of the agency has prevented them from carrying out their duties and has diverted the agency from performing its legal obligations." He also took blows at the United States in saying "[Those who] possess, have used or threatened to use nuclear weapons [should] be suspended from the IAEA and its board of governors, especially the US which has used a weapon made of atomic waste in the Iraq war." He suggested that the United States and its vast arsenal of atomic warheads was delaying the long-awaited prospect of global nuclear disarmament. He said its so-called deterrence policy had been the primary reason behind the proliferation of WMD
Weapons of mass destruction
A weapon of mass destruction is a weapon that can kill and bring significant harm to a large number of humans and/or cause great damage to man-made structures , natural structures , or the biosphere in general...
's in recent years. "Washington has not only applied nuclear weapons against other nations, but has for years threatened to use weapons of mass destruction against world countries in order to gain the upper hand...such countries should be stripped of their membership to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). They have no place [in the UN nuclear watchdog] or its Board of Governors." Iran's ambassador to the IAEA said he had offered proposals to better the body in the future.
On April 18, Iran's Foreign Minister indicated that "Iran plans to hold talks with all 15 members of the UN Security Council in an effort to break a deadlock over a nuclear fuel deal." Mottaki said "The talks will focus on the fuel exchange [deal]. They will be conducted by Iran's missions in those countries. In principle the issue of fuel exchange has been agreed upon ... We think ... details could be worked out."
Iranian reactions
The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Ramin Mehmanparast, saying "The estimates show that this conference will be warmly welcomed by countries" He added a thinly veiled attack on the United States in saying that "The world is currently witnessing discrimination. On one hand, using nuclear energy for peaceful purposes is limited while at the same time, countries which possess nuclear weapons do not allow nations to access nuclear energy. These countries allow themselves to use nuclear weapons and announce that they will not hesitate to use these arms against other nations. This can lead to a collective effort. The international community would like to set in motion a real move to enjoy nuclear technology for peaceful purposes and for national development. We are witnessing big threats by possessors of nuclear weapons. They are boldly threatening to use nukes. Any use of nuclear weapons to harm humanity is condemned." The Deputy Foreign Minister for Education and Research, Mohammad Bagher Khorramshad accusing the West of having made a hue and cryHue and cry
In common law, a hue and cry is a process by which bystanders are summoned to assist in the apprehension of a criminal who has been witnessed in the act of committing a crime.By the Statute of Winchester of 1285, 13 Edw. I cc...
to prevent the conference from going through because they feared the conference would question their own sincerity to international community and adding that "A few colonial powers seek to monopolize production of nuclear energy and deprive other of it. It is among [the] legitimate rights of every nation to make use of nuclear technology and no one is authorized to deprive them of such a privilege. Meanwhile, Mottaki closed the conference saying that "Those who think of attacking Iran are playing with fire. They will very well realize the consequences of their actions. "We don't believe they will attack. We do not see they have the capacity on the ground." He also called the conference a success because the participants achieved the goal of highlighting the necessity of nuclear disarmament.
Unofficial reaction came from such places as the academics at the University of Tehran
University of Tehran
The University of Tehran , also known as Tehran University and UT, is Iran's oldest university. Located in Tehran, the university is among the most prestigious in the country, and is consistently selected as the first choice of many applicants in the annual nationwide entrance exam for top Iranian...
, one of whom suggested that "Most countries in the world do feel that the UN Security Council as well as the IAEA board of governors is not democratic, so it is something that most people in the south have a great deal of sympathy with. The problem that Iran is facing right now is the fact that western countries are very much biased against the country. So he is using this opportunity to point out Iran's position and show that it is a very reasonable and logical one and the reason that Iran is unable to get its voice across is because these bodies are undemocratic."
Countries
/ Lebanon / The Foreign Ministers of Iraq, Lebanon and Syria also supported Iran's right to nuclear technoloy while condemning Israel's nuclear arsenal. Syria's Walid MuallemWalid Muallem
Walid al Muallem is the current Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates for Syria, and a long-time diplomat for that country.-Early life, education and career:...
said "We back Iran for pursuing peaceful nuclear technology. The major threat in the region is Israel which has nuclear warheads. Israel must join this treaty and take quick steps to destroy its nuclear weapons which number over 200 warheads." His Lebanese counterpart, Ali al-Shami, said Iran was seeking "nuclear energy for peaceful aims and it was not deviating from the treaty." Adding that Israel needed to be "stripped" off its nuclear arsenal. "There is more need to strip Israel of its nuclear arsenal, as the international community is aware of its nuclear weapons capability and that this regime has defiantly declared it will use these weapons whenever it wants. Since the atomic weapons of the Zionist regime are not inspected, there is a danger of these weapons being used in future. This regime must join the NPT without any conditions." Iraq's Hoshyar Zebari chimed in that "We reject any threat against Iran and insist on Iran's rights to use peaceful nuclear energy." On the sidelines Iran's parliamentary speaker and Lebanon's Shami also criticised Israel. Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani
Ali Larijani
Ali Ardashir Larijani is an Iranian philosopher, politician and the chairman of the Iranian parliament. Larijani was the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council from August 15, 2005 to October 20, 2007, appointed to the position by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,replacing Hassan Rowhani...
said Muslim states must try to prevent Israel from "implementing its hostile plans" because they have "a religious responsibility" to do so. "The Muslim ummah must take serious and practical steps against the immeasurable number of atrocities carried out by Israel in various parts of Palestine especially, [Jerusalem] al-Quds." He called Lebanon "the symbol of resistance against Israel," and praised the Lebanese determination to fight Israel. Shami said the Lebanon would never forget the support Iran has shown to Lebanon's resistance movement. He added that Israel's policies toward the region were focused on expansionist policies, therefore "Islamic and Arab states in the region and around the world need to take a steadfast stance against Israel's evil policies that include the Judisization of al-Quds."
} Upon returning home after the conference Lebanon's foreign minister called for the UN to pressure Israel: "Regional and international communities should pressure the Security Council into imposing sanctions against Israel."
The Russian Deputy Foreign Minister at the conference "called for more confidence-building measures from Tehran to allay international concerns over its nuclear program". Russia added that the conference "is an excellent opportunity to have a free-flowing exchange of views on some critical issues. We are discussing scenarios and the way to go forward to this goal [of having nuclear energy for all, and nuclear weapons for none. [World powers, however, remain united over] a set of issues that are not resolved that maybe considered satisfactory by the United States and some other countries."
Oman said the conference is indicative of Iran's peaceful nuclear programme: "The Islamic Republic of Iran emphasizes that it is pursuing a peaceful, and not - as certain states claim - a military (nuclear) goal. We have taken part in the Tehran conference in a bid to reemphasize that Iran's nuclear program is peaceful."
Singapore disavowed the statement Iran issued after the conference, saying "The ministry said there was no agreement among delegates to the Tehran Conference to issue such a document, and 'neither was there any discussion on the contents of the document."
The U.S.A., amongst other countries, also welcomed the Iranian decision to resume talk on a nuclear fuel swap.
Miscellaneous
- Paul Ingram, executive director of the British American Security Information CouncilBritish American Security Information CouncilThe British American Security Information Council, also known as "BASIC", is a think tank based in London and Washington, D.C.. It deals with global security issues, such as nuclear policies, armament and disarmament...
, said that "the Tehran conference will undermine US strategies in forming a front against Iran. Obama held the Nuclear Security SummitNuclear Security SummitNuclear Security Summit may refer to:* 2010 Nuclear Security Summit* 2012 Nuclear Security Summit...
in an aim to reach an international consensus against Iran; however, his efforts were of no avail." He added that the conference could increase international support for Iran as well as lessen tension.
- Time Magazine noted that while "the Tehran conference yielded few concrete results," despite Iran's failure to comply with all the transparency demands of the IAEA "there was evidence at Iran's summit that Tehran's nuclear strategy is succeeding."
Controversies
Iran said there would be some sort of American representation at the conference, however this was denied by the U.S. State Department which stated that no U.S. official had been invited.Former Iranian president Mohammad Khatami
Mohammad Khatami
Sayyid Mohammad Khātamī is an Iranian scholar, philosopher, Shiite theologian and Reformist politician. He served as the fifth President of Iran from August 2, 1997 to August 3, 2005. He also served as Iran's Minister of Culture in both the 1980s and 1990s...
was encouraged not to attend another nuclear disarmament conference in Hiroshima
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. His aide claimed there was an outright ban on him leaving the country.
A day after the conference, Iran staged its annual military parade where it displayed missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
See also
- International Conference on Nuclear Disarmament, Oslo, 2008
- Nuclear proliferationNuclear proliferationNuclear proliferation is a term now used to describe the spread of nuclear weapons, fissile material, and weapons-applicable nuclear technology and information, to nations which are not recognized as "Nuclear Weapon States" by the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons, also known as the...
- Nuclear disarmamentNuclear disarmamentNuclear disarmament refers to both the act of reducing or eliminating nuclear weapons and to the end state of a nuclear-free world, in which nuclear weapons are completely eliminated....
- Nuclear disarmament