US: Iran May Withdraw From Non-Proliferation Treaty

By VOA News 09 May 2007

The United States has warned that Iran may be considering leaving the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

The U.S. delegate to a 130-nation nuclear conference in Vienna, Christopher Ford, said the U.S. is very concerned by Iran's alleged violations of the agreement.

He said there are signs Iran might withdraw from the treaty as North Korea did several years ago.

Meanwhile, senior diplomats from Germany and the five permanent U.N. Security Council members - the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China - are expected to meet on Thursday in Berlin for talks on persuading Iran to stop sensitive nuclear work.

Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani speaks during a press conference in Tehran (File)

The talks will be conducted ahead of a meeting later this month between EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani.

Iran delayed talks at the Non-Proliferation Treaty conference in Vienna for several days by blocking the agenda because of the phrase "reaffirming the need for full compliance" with the treaty. The standoff was resolved with a South African footnote saying "compliance" meant "with all provisions" of the treaty, meaning the U.S. and other nuclear weapons countries should be pressured to disarm.

The United States and its allies accuse Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran denies.

The U.N. Security Council has imposed sanctions on Iran because of its refusal to stop uranium enrichment, a process that can be used to make nuclear weapons.