Using nuclear weapons a crime against humanity: Iran

Use of nuclear weapons or even the threat of the use of such weapons is a crime against humanity, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said here on Monday.

"We firmly believe that any use or threat of use of nuclear weapons would be a crime against humanity and a violation of the principles of the Charter of the UN and international law in particular international humanitarian law," Zarif said in his address to the 2015 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) here, Press TV reported.

The Iranian foreign minister made a strong call for "the complete exclusion" of the use or threat of use of the nuclear weapons from military doctrines.

"We express our dissatisfaction over the lack of required political will and effort by the nuclear weapons states to fully address the legitimate interest of all non-nuclear weapons states parties to the treaty to receive unconditional and legally binding security assurances against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons on all circumstances pending their elimination," he said.

Zarif further criticised the countries that possess nuclear weapons for not making any progress in eliminating their nuclear arsenals.

"The role of nuclear weapons in their security policy has not diminished. Some are modernising their nuclear arsenals and planning research on new warheads; others have announced their intention to develop new delivery vehicles for nuclear weapons," he said.

Zarif further expressed "deep concerned" by the military and security doctrine of nuclear weapons states as well as that of NATO, saying: "They justify their use or threat of use of nuclear weapons and maintain the irrational concept of security based on nuclear deterrence and nuclear military alliances."