TEHRAN, July 16 (UPI) -- The Israeli government must be held accountable for violating international protocols regarding nuclear weapons, an Iranian lawmaker said Tuesday.
Alaeddin Boroujerdi, chairman of Iran's foreign policy committee, expressed frustration with what he characterized as an imbalance in the international nuclear dialogue. He was quoted by Press TV as saying Tuesday it was wrong for the International Atomic Energy Agency to press Iran on nuclear transparency when Israel possess "at least 200 nuclear warheads."
Iran is under pressure to allay IAEA concerns about its nuclear research program. Nuclear inspectors said they believe there may be a military dimension to certain aspects of Iran's research.
"The countries committed to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty should constantly file complaints with international bodies against the Zionist regime [Israel] and demand that the agency seriously deal with this center of nuclear threat in the Middle East," he said.
Iran is a signatory to the NPT. Israel has said it would keep all options on the table to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.
The U.N. Security Council said member states this week expressed doubt about the "uniquely civilian character" of Iran's nuclear program. Members expressed further concern over ballistic missile tests and a "patterns of sanctions evasion through arms smuggling" in the region by the Iranian government.
