Riyadh: Zionists’ Refusal to Join NPT ‘Grave Obstacle’ to Nuclear Disarmament

RIYADH (KI) – Saudi Arabia has raised concerns about the Zionist regime’s refusal to join a United Nations nuclear non-proliferation treaty, saying it was an obstacle to achieving peace in the region.
The warning was a rare moment of Saudi criticism of the Zionist regime.
Saudi Arabia’s new permanent representative to the United Nations, Abdulaziz al-Wasil, made the comments during a conference to review the UN’s Non-Proliferation Treaty.
“There is Israel’s continuing refusal to accede to the [Non-Proliferation Treaty] and this is a grave obstacle” for nuclear disarmament, Wasil said.
“The aim of the treaty is for non-nuclear states to be able to enjoy security guarantees in terms of the recourse to atomic energy and the use of atomic energy,” Wasil said.
“Israel is refusing to respect international resolutions on this and is ignoring all recommendations and decisions from the NPT.”
The NPT is an accord that was created in 1970 to work towards peaceful nuclear energy programs and pursue nuclear disarmament around the world. A total of 191 countries have joined the pact, including all five countries that have nuclear weapons.
The Zionist regime is not a signatory to the agreement, and has not accepted safeguards from the International Atomic Energy Association. The regime neither confirms nor denies it has nuclear weapons.
The comments from the Saudi ambassador came a day before a commercial flight headed for the Israeli-occupied territories entered Saudi airspace, the first time since the kingdom last month opened its skies to all flights, including those from the occupied territories.
In July, Saudi Arabia announced it had opened its airspace to all civilian overflights just hours before Joe Biden became the first U.S. president to fly directly from the occupied territories to the kingdom.
While the two do not have formal diplomatic ties, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s de facto ruler, has signaled his interest in improving relations with the occupying regime, despite anger from the Muslim world.