Rouhani says Israel must declare N-arms

NEW YORK: Iranian leader Hassan Rouhani on Thursday called on Israel to admit it has a nuclear bomb ahead of a landmark meeting between Iranian and western foreign ministers.

Rouhani also said he believed a deal could be struck with the international community on his country’s nuclear drive within three to six months. The Iranian president spoke at a UN nuclear disarmament conference just before Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Mohammad Zarif was to hold talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry and ministers from Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia.

Rouhani said Iran’s arch-foe Israel should join the Non-Proliferation Treaty, which aims to contain the spread of nuclear weapons.

Israel has never declared a nuclear bomb but is widely suspected to have several.

Rouhani, speaking as current leader of the Non-Aligned Movement, highlighted the failure of attempts to organise a Middle East nuclear free zone. “Israel, the only non-party to the Non-Proliferation Treaty in this region, should join thereto without any further delay,” Rouhani told the meeting.

He said that “all nuclear activities in the region” would then be subject to International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards.

“No nation should possess nuclear weapons, since there are no right hands for these wrong weapons,” said Rouhani.

Rouhani told the Washington Post he wants a quick accord to end western accusations that Iran is seeking a nuclear bomb.

He said he has the full backing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to broker a deal. “The only way forward is for a timeline to be inserted into the negotiations that’s short - and wrap it up,” said Rouhani.

“That is a decision of my government - that short is necessary to settle the nuclear file,” he said.

“If it’s three months, that would be Iran’s choice, if it’s six months, that’s still good. It’s a question of months not years.”

Zarif will be the first Iranian minister to sit down with western counterparts to discuss Iran’s nuclear programme.

While US officials are saying that no bilateral talks are planned between Kerry and Zarif, an unofficial encounter is possible.

“We’re going to have a good meeting I’m sure,” Kerry said as he met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.

Agence France-Presse