West can’t have it both ways on nukes – if against proliferation, must be against all proliferation

Iran slams West’s nuclear double standards
8 May, 2012 – Al Akhbar

Western powers are mounting pressure on Iran to abandon its nuclear program, while supplying Israel with nuclear capable submarines, a double standard noted by Iran’s foreign ministry on Tuesday.

The broadside by the ministry’s spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast appeared to be a response to a US call the previous day for Iran to take “urgent practical steps” to build confidence ahead of nuclear talks with six major powers in Baghdad on May 23.

“Some of these countries have nuclear-capable submarines they have delivered to the Zionist regime,” he said, alluding to Germany’s sale of Dolphin-class submarines to Israel, which some analysts say can carry nuclear warheads.

“All of these countries need to feel committed to the contents of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT).”

In a rebuke to the world’s nuclear powers who have failed to downsize their own arsenals, Mehmanparast spoke of their “contravention and clear violation” of the rules.

“Some countries say they are concerned that Iran’s activities might be diverted towards non-peaceful purposes in the future,” he said. “When they are talking about future speculation, how can they not be concerned about scrapping nuclear weapons at the present time?”

US officials have previously suggested Iran should build confidence by accepting more intrusive UN inspections, curbing its uranium enrichment work and closing a nuclear site near Qom.

Yet no Western power has made a similar stringent demand of Israel, the Middle East’s only nuclear power and primary ally of the United States.

Iranian officials have said the Baghdad meeting should lead to the lifting of sanctions imposed by the United States and its allies against Iran’s energy and banking sectors.

The United States suspects Iran of seeking to develop a capacity to build nuclear weapons and has refused to rule out military action if negotiations fail. Iran denies this and maintains it has the right to enrich uranium and develop a peaceful nuclear program as a member of the NPT.

Last week, Iran’s envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Ali Asghar Soltanieh, said Tehran would never suspend enrichment, which can have both civilian and military purposes, and saw no reason to close the Fordow underground site which it has used to expand higher-grade enrichment.

The IAEA and Iran will hold talks in Vienna on May 14-15 after two meetings earlier this year failed to make headway.

The UN nuclear watchdog wants Iran to address questions raised in an IAEA report in November on suspected Iranian research and development activities relevant to nuclear weapons.

Iran has dismissed the allegations as fabricated. …more