Israel accuses Iran of ‘deception’ to buy time for its nuclear programSeptember 18, 2013 - 23:06 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Israel accused Iran on Wednesday, Sept 18 of using "deception and concealment" to buy time for its nuclear program, signaling skepticism about the new Iranian president's move away from the hardline stance of his predecessor, Reuters reported. Israel, believed to be the Middle East's only nuclear-armed power, also said an Arab push to single it out for criticism at a UN nuclear agency meeting this week would deal a "serious blow" to any attempt to hold regional security talks. The election of a relative moderate, Hassan Rouhani, as Iranian president has raised hopes of progress in long-stalled efforts to find a solution to the decade-old dispute over Tehran's nuclear program. An Iranian official said he saw an "opening" in Iran's nuclear row with the West, in the latest signal that Tehran expects fresh movement to break the deadlock. But the head of Israel's Atomic Energy Commission said: "The picture that the Iranian representatives are portraying regarding openness and transparency of their nuclear program ... stands in sharp contradiction with Iran's actual actions and the facts on the ground." The issue was not whether Iran has "modified its diplomatic vocabulary ... but whether it is addressing seriously and in a timely manner outstanding issues that have remained unresolved for too long," Shaul Chorev told the annual meeting of member states of the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The United States and Israel accuse Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons capability and maintain a threat of possible military action if diplomacy fails. Iran says its program is entirely peaceful and says it is Israel's assumed atomic weaponry that threatens peace. The IAEA's latest report on Iran said it had further expanded its uranium enrichment capacity by installing many more centrifuges. Uranium can have both civilian and military uses. Chorev accused Iran of "deception and concealment, creating a false impression about the status of its engagement with the agency ... with a view to buy more time in Iran's daily inching forward in every aspect of its nuclear military program". Chorev accused Arab states of using the IAEA meeting to "repeatedly bash" Israel and he urged members to reject an Arab-sponsored draft resolution calling on Israel to join a global anti-nuclear weapons pact. Frustrated over the postponement of an international conference on ridding the region of atomic arms, Arab states have proposed a non-binding resolution expressing concern about "Israeli nuclear capabilities". U.S. and Israeli officials have said a nuclear arms-free zone in the Middle East could not be a reality until there was broad Arab-Israeli peace and Iran scaled back its nuclear work. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. Armenia: Defense Ministry warns against involving army in political processes The Ministry’s statement came after a video surfaced online, showing soldiers joining the protests in Tavush. Scholz hopes Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty will be signed this year German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes that a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be signed this year. Ucom equips four bus stops in Ijevan with free Wi-Fi Ucom now provides free Wi-Fi coverage in smart bus stops in four communities of Ijevan. |