US, Iranian officials trade barbs during UN nuclear weapons conference

Officials from the United States and Iran clash over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear ambitions at the opening of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty review, a dispute almost certain to continue during the four-week meeting.

At issue is the election of Iran as one of 34 vice-presidents of the conference. Iran was a candidate of the Nonaligned Movement, including 121 mainly developing countries.

The United States was backed by Australia, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom. France and Germany also expressed “concern.” Russia objected to singling out Iran.

The US representative says the Trump administration is “deeply shocked” that a country that has demonstrated “contempt” for the treaty is now a vice president.

Iran’s ambassador to the UN in Vienna, Reza Najafi, categorically rejects the US statement, calling the allegations “baseless and politically motivated.”