The United States and Iran traded sharp accusations over Tehran’s nuclear programme as a month-long review conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) opened at the United Nations on Monday, a dispute that is expected to dominate the meeting.
A key flashpoint was Iran’s election as one of the 34 vice presidents of the conference, where 191 member states are assessing the implementation of the treaty, a process held every five years since the pact came into force in 1970.
Iran secured the position as the nominee of the Non-Aligned Movement, a bloc of 121 mostly developing nations.
The tensions come amid heightened scrutiny of Iran’s nuclear activities, with President Donald Trump reiterating that Tehran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. Iran has enriched uranium close to weapons-grade levels, though it continues to maintain that its programme is meant solely for civilian use.
Iran remains a signatory to the NPT, which obliges it to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). However, Tehran has not allowed inspectors access to nuclear facilities struck by US airstrikes last year.
US Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control and Nonproliferation Christopher Yeaw criticised Iran’s appointment, saying Tehran had shown “contempt” for its treaty obligations.
“Instead of using this review conference to uphold the integrity of the NPT and hold Iran accountable, we are making Iran a vice president,” Yeaw said, calling the move “an embarrassment to the credibility of this conference.”
The United States was supported by Australia and the United Arab Emirates, while Britain, France and Germany also voiced concern over Iran’s role.
Iran’s envoy to the UN in Vienna, Reza Najafi, dismissed the US claims as politically motivated and accused Washington of hypocrisy, noting that the United States remains the only country to have used nuclear weapons in war.
Najafi also condemned recent US and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, describing them as violations of international law and a direct challenge to the global non-proliferation system.
Russia opposed efforts to single out Iran. Russian delegate Andrey Belousov warned against politicising the conference from its opening day and said he hoped such disputes would not derail the meeting.
The last NPT review conference in 2022 ended without consensus after Russia blocked a final document because of references to its occupation of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.
Opening the session, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that the world is facing renewed nuclear dangers.
“For the first time in decades, the number of nuclear warheads is increasing,” he said, urging countries to recommit to disarmament and ensure that emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence never gain control over nuclear weapons.
Under the treaty, the five recognised nuclear powers — the US, Russia, China, Britain and France — committed to pursue eventual disarmament, while non-nuclear states agreed not to seek atomic weapons in exchange for access to peaceful nuclear technology.
