Israel and US storm out during Iran speech

IRAN’S foreign minister yesterday accused Israel and the United States of posing the main threats to the security of the Middle East.

The US and Israeli delegations walked out during the speech.

The comments from Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki come as Iran — under sanctions for its refusal to stop uranium enrichment — faces increasing pressure to open its nuclear programme to greater scrutiny. The US and some allies accuse Iran of using the atomic programme as a pretext to build weapons; Iran says its intentions are peaceful.

Mottaki told the world’s top disarmament forum that Israel was the only country in the region that refuses to accede to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and said Prime Minister Ehud Olmert last year acknowledged that his country had nuclear weapons — which Olmert denies doing.

A nuclear-armed Israel poses “a uniquely grave threat to regional and international peace and security and requires to be seriously dealt with by the international community taking practical measures,” Mottaki told the 65-nation conference on disarmament.

Mottaki referred to Israel as “the Zionist regime,” which he said had “a long and dark record of crimes and atrocities such as occupation, aggression, militarism, state terrorism, crimes against humanity and apartheid.”

Israeli Ambassador Yitzhak Levanon said his delegation found the speech insulting and decided to leave: “Everybody noticed that we left because we made a small noise, showing everybody that we disagree with his remarks.”

They were followed by the US delegation, and the American mission said in a statement that Mottaki’s “outrageous and divisive comments are not useful.”

“It seems the Iranians are under international pressure and this is what explains their undiplomatic behaviour,” Levanon said.

Mottaki noted the growing pressure being exerted on Iran in the UN Security Council, with a series of sanctions aimed at forcing the country to suspend uranium enrichment.

“It is surprising that while no practical step is taken to contain the real source of nuclear danger in the Middle East, my country is under tremendous pressure to renounce its inalienable right for peaceful use of nuclear energy,” Mottaki said.