Taking the rostrum at the annual United Nations General Assembly,
Iran’s President decried as a great injustice the “double
standard” exhibited by Western nations towards what he described
as his country’s peaceful nuclear activities.
“I explicitly declare that the Islamic Republic of Iran is not
seeking to develop nuclear weapons and such weapons have no place
in our defence doctrine,” Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi told Member States
gathered for the high-level General Debate.
This is despite the fact that other governments have continued to
produce and use nuclear weapons and “gift” them to others, he
continued, lamenting the West’s “double standard position”
towards his country’s nuclear activities as a “manifestation of
injustice.”
Peaceful programme
“Countries that have to be disarmed are rewarded, and countries
that have adhered to their commitments are even deprived of the
rights contained in the NPT,” said Mr. Raisi, referring to the
Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, which seeks
to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology,
to promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and
to further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament and general
and complete disarmament.
“While Iran's peaceful nuclear programme includes only two per
cent of the world's nuclear programmes, 35 per cent of
inspections are of our facilities,” said the President.
“While Iran's peaceful nuclear programme includes only two per
cent of the world's nuclear programmes, 35 per cent of
inspections are of our facilities,” said the President.
Indeed, he said: “Those who see the Iranian nuclear issue as a
threat are nevertheless ignoring what they should do themselves:
denuclearize.”
In 2015, a landmark accord – formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan
of Action (JCPOA) – was reached between Iran, the United
States, China, France, Russia, and the United Kingdom. Under this
accord, Iran agreed to dismantle much of its nuclear programme
and open its facilities to international inspections in exchange
for sanctions relief.
Nuclear deal
In 2018, then-President Trump withdrew the US from the agreement
and reinstated the sanctions. Although efforts to restore the
Plan have been underway for some time, the US and other
participants are yet to return to its full and effective
implementation.
“It was America that left the agreement, not Iran,” the President
stated. “The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) stated 15 times in its
reports that Iran has fully adhered to the provisions of the
agreement.
“Iran has paid the cost of complying with its obligations, but
due to the violation of the promise of the American side and the
non-compliance of the European side, Iran has not enjoyed the
benefits of this agreement.”
He rejected some of the double standards of certain Governments
vis-à-vis human rights and described unilateralism as a tool that
has been used to hold many countries back. On a selective basis,
the United States cannot accept that certain countries have the
right to stand on their own two feet, he asserted. He went on to
accuse Israel of creating the “world’s largest prison” through
its blockade of the Palestinian Gaza Strip. Moreover, he
denounced mass graves of Indigenous peoples found in Canada and
the way the US detained ;migrants and refugees on its southern
border.
