Tehran’s ambassador to the UN says rival Saudi Arabia is looking for an excuse to build nuclear weapons and blaming Iran.
Tehran, Iran – Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations says Saudi Arabia is trying to use Iran as an excuse to develop nuclear weapons after a Saudi minister said the kingdom reserves the right to arm itself with nuclear weapons.
In tweets in Farsi and English, Iran’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN, Kazem Gharibabadi, said that “the scapegoat and fear are two common and classic methods used by demagogues.”
“If you want to pursue a nuclear weapons program, or are looking for an excuse to justify your lack of cooperation with the IAEA or its antiquated safeguards system, at least have the courage to admit it and pay the price,” he said. he said in reference to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
“Do not blame others for your wrongdoing with lies.”
The Iranian official’s comments come shortly after Adel al-Jubeir, the kingdom’s minister of state for foreign affairs, said that Saudi Arabia reserves the right to arm itself with nuclear weapons if Iran cannot be prevented from making one.
“It is definitely an option,” he told the dpa news agency in an interview, adding that Saudi Arabia “will do everything possible to protect its people and protect its territories.”
Saudi Arabia’s comments also come on the heels of a call from the Saudi monarch, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, for the world to take a “decisive stance” to address Iran’s efforts to develop its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
In response, Iran urged the kingdom to refrain from “unfounded and incitement to hatred” charges.
Tehran has carried out a nuclear program for decades, but insists that it only wants to use nuclear energy peacefully.
More than 10 years ago, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei issued a fatwa – a legal or general decree in Islam by a religious authority or court and issued by a mufti – declaring all weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons, a “grave threat against humanity”.
“The Iranian nation is itself a victim of the use of chemical weapons,” Khamenei wrote in reference to the eight-year Iran-Iraq War that ended in 1988.
“It feels the threat of the development and proliferation of these weapons more than other nations and is ready to use all its resources to combat it.”
Undeclared sites
In 2015, Iran signed a landmark nuclear deal with world powers that significantly curbed its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of multilateral sanctions.
In May 2018, US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from the deal and imposed harsh sanctions on Iran.
After a year of remaining committed to the deal under sanctions, Iran gradually reduced its commitments under the deal, but has said it will return to full compliance if the United States does so first and lifts the sanctions.
A confidential IAEA report to member countries seen by news agencies last week said Iran has stored low-enriched uranium 12 times more than the limit set by the nuclear deal, without providing a credible explanation for the presence of nuclear material. on undeclared sites.
The IAEA said Iran has continued to enrich uranium to a purity of up to 4.5 percent, which is higher than the 3.67 percent allowed by the nuclear deal, but well below the 90 percent required for use. of weapons.
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