Nuclear test threatens regime, says UN watchdog

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency today said North Korea’s claimed nuclear test blast represented “serious security challenges” and a setback to preventing the spread of nuclear arms.

“This reported nuclear test threatens the nuclear non-proliferation regime and creates serious security challenges not only for the East Asian region but also for the international community,” said an IAEA statement citing agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei.

“The breaking of a de-facto global moratorium on nuclear explosive testing that has been in place for nearly a decade and the addition of a new State with nuclear weapon capacity is a clear setback to international commitments to move towards nuclear disarmament.”

The statement by the Vienna-based agency said ElBaradei “deeply regrets and expresses serious concern” about the reported test.