Statement by H.E. Reza Najafi

Acting Deputy for Legal and International Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran

At the High-Level Plenary Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly

On “To Promote the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear-Weapons”

New York, 28 September 2021

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.

Mr. President,

Please allow me to express my gratitude for the convening of this meeting and your statement.

This day is as an occasion for the world community to reaffirm its commitment to pursuing total elimination of nuclear weapons as a priority objective.

The Islamic Republic of Iran strongly rejects the retention, stockpiling, development, use and proliferation of nuclear weapons at regional and global levels. Achieving global nuclear disarmament and eliminating the threat of nuclear weapons is a legal, political and moral responsibility for all States, in general, and the Nuclear Weapon States, in particular.

Relying on nuclear deterrence persists in the security policies of NWSs and some of their allies. NWSs have well-funded, long-term plans to not only modernize but also strengthen their nuclear arsenals, which is a gross violation of the spirit and letter of the NPT. They continue to object to any nuclear disarmament negotiations in spite of the clear legal obligation which they have undertaken under Article VI of the NPT. The deadlock on nuclear disarmament is the result of the U.S. aggressive nuclear policy.

We urge the U.S. and other nuclear-weapon States to show respect for their international obligations on nuclear disarmament and implement them earnestly.

In the 10th Review Conference of the NPT, the first priority must be to adopt concrete decisions on taking forward nuclear disarmament. We strongly support the NAM proposal to commence negotiations of a comprehensive nuclear weapons convention.

Iran emphasizes the fundamental importance of the implementation of the 1995 Resolution. The nuclear weapons of the Israeli regime continue to threaten the peace and security of the Middle East region and beyond. Its clandestine nuclear weapons program is the main obstacle to the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East. The international community should reaffirm the importance of accession of the Israeli regime to the NPT as a non-nuclear-weapon party and without any precondition and the placement of all of its nuclear facilities under the IAEA’s full-scope safeguards.

I conclude by paying homage to the victims of the use of nuclear weapons. The only absolute guarantee that nuclear weapons are never used again is through their total elimination.

Also, I would like to put on record my delegation’s position on the baseless accusations of the representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) against Iran’s nuclear program.

It is a bitter irony of international relations that the gambit of “the best defense is a good offense” is becoming a pattern. KSA is referring to Iran’s nuclear program while itself is still implementing an old version of SQPs, thus preventing the IAEA from full monitoring and verification regime about its nuclear program. Iran is fully and faithfully implementing its comprehensive safeguards agreement with the Agency. The lack of full implementation of Comprehensive Safeguards should raise alarms anywhere, be it in the KSA or the Israeli regime, and there should be no difference. It should be rejected promptly and without any prejudice or discrimination. Indeed, Iran, the Agency, and the international community would be much satisfied if the KSA and all others in the Middle East could have undertaken the same safeguards-related obligations as Iran is implementing.

The fact is that KSA is not implementing the CSA. Therefore, the IAEA is not being provided by the KSA with even minimum necessary verification authorities. The IAEA Secretariat has already requested them several times to rescind their current SQPs. A failure to implement the IAEA’s safeguards by rescinding the SQPs could allow them to hide certain nuclear activities without them being subject to the IAEA inspections.

Therefore, the international community should call upon Riyadh to immediately bring into force the CSA in full. Halting nuclear assistance to Saudi Arabia is the only way that can alleviate these concerns about Saudi Arabia.

 I thank you!