US, Iran Face Off At UN Over Tehran’s Nuclear Role

The United States and Iran engaged in a fresh diplomatic confrontation at the United Nations (UN) on Monday over Tehran’s nuclear activities and its appointment to a leadership role at a global non-proliferation conference.

The disagreement arose at the 11th Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which opened at the UN headquarters in New York. The treaty, which came into force in 1970, was designed to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and promote peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

At the conference, 34 countries were selected as vice presidents by different regional groups. Iran’s inclusion was backed by the Non-Aligned Movement, according to the conference chair, Vietnam’s Ambassador to UN, Do Hung Viet.

However, the United States strongly opposed Iran’s role. Christopher Yeaw, a senior official in the US Bureau of Arms Control and Nonproliferation, described Iran’s selection as an “affront” to the treaty. He accused Tehran of repeatedly failing to meet its non-proliferation obligations and refusing to fully cooperate with the UN’s nuclear watchdog.

In response, Reza Najafi, Iran’s Ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), dismissed the US criticism as “baseless and politically motivated.” He argued that Washington lacked moral authority, pointing out that the US remained the only country to have used nuclear weapons and continued to expand its arsenal.

The renewed diplomatic clash comes amid ongoing tensions over Iran’s nuclear ambitions, which have also been a central issue in recent hostilities involving the US and Israel. US President Donald Trump reiterated on Sunday that Iran must never be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons.

Iran, however, maintained that its nuclear programme was strictly for peaceful purposes, including energy production. It has consistently called on the US to recognise its right to enrich uranium under international law. Western powers, on the other hand, fear that such enrichment could be diverted to produce nuclear weapons.

While US intelligence and the IAEA have previously assessed that Iran halted any structured nuclear weapons programme in 2003, concerns persisted about its current activities.

In a new development, Iranian sources on Monday revealed a proposal aimed at easing tensions. The plan suggested postponing discussions on Tehran’s nuclear programme until the ongoing conflict subsides and disputes over shipping routes in the Gulf were resolved.