Iran/Israel: Iran: Israel Only Obstacle to Materializing Nuclear-Free Middle-East.

Section: General News - Iran's Representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Ali Asqar Soltaniyeh blasted the "intransigent" nuclear policy of the Zionist regime, and said Israel is the only obstacle to the materialization of a Middle-East free from atomic weapons.

"It is regretful that after 30 years of the adoption of the General Assembly resolution, initially proposed by Iran, on the establishment of a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in the Middle East, no progress has been achieved for its realization due to the intransigent policy of the Zionist Regime," Soltaniyeh said in a statement released at the IAEA General Conference in Vienna on the application of IAEA safeguards in the Middle-East.

"Owing to the non-adherence of this Regime to the NPT, and more importantly, the refusal of this regime to place its unsafeguarded nuclear facilities under the IAEA verification system, the realization of such a zone as a lofty and long-sought aspiration of the countries in the region has yet to be materialized. The irresponsible behavior of this regime in this respect has put the establishment of such a zone in the region for near future at serious doubt," he added.

The full text of the …