US Condemns Iran's NPT Conference Vice President Role

The United States and Iran exchanged sharp criticisms at the United Nations in New York on Monday, April 27, as the 11th review conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty got underway, with the clash centering on Iran's election as one of 34 vice presidents of the monthlong meeting.

The conference, which reviews implementation of the 1970 treaty among 191 parties every five years, opened with Iran's selection by the group of non-aligned and other states, as announced by chair Do Hung Viet, Vietnam's UN ambassador. Christopher Yeaw, U.S. assistant secretary for arms control and non-proliferation, condemned the choice, stating that Iran has demonstrated contempt for its NPT commitments and refused cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency to address questions about its nuclear program. "It is beyond shameful and an embarrassment to the credibility of this conference," Yeaw said.

Iran's ambassador to the IAEA, Reza Najafi, dismissed the U.S. remarks as baseless and politically motivated. "It is indefensible that the United States, as the only state ever to have used nuclear weapons and the one that continues to expand and modernize its nuclear arsenal, seeks...