A review meeting for the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty is taking place in NYC and numerous sources are reporting Iran has asked that Israeli nuclear weapons and the 5 permanent Security Council members' failure to disarm be discussed.
Reuters: Iran slams nuclear powers, Israel at UN atomic treaty meeting
He [Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif] said non-aligned states viewed Israel's assumed nuclear weapons as "a serious and continuing threat to the security of neighboring and other states, and condemned Israel for continuing to develop and stockpile nuclear arsenals."
A senior Israeli official dismissed Iran's criticism, adding that no world power has been exerting additional pressure on Israel to alter its nuclear policy. "Iran has got enough to deal with in terms of its serial non-compliance with the NPT, so she’ll always want to deflect criticism," the official said.
Israel, India and Pakistan have not signed the NPT.
Haaretz is reporting that Iran aims to use NPT conference to renew international pressure on Israel
“Unfortunately, Israel’s possession of nuclear weapons and its refusal to engage with the international community has become the greatest impediment to the universality of this treaty,” Zarif said. “Israel is the single [worst] violator of this international regime [the NPT] … and one of the most important issues in the NPT review process is to look into ways and means of bringing about the Israeli compliance with NPT.”
That last statement is a bit over the top. The Pakistani and North Korean programs have led to more proliferation to other nations than Israel's has (and North Korea actually signed the NPT, withdrawing later, unlike the others who never signed it). Though Israel did assist South Africa develop nuclear weapons. Arguably, North Korea is a bigger risk with it's history of selling nuclear and ballistic missile technology.
India is estimated to have more nukes as Israel. Though to be fair, India has a public "no first strike" policy and has nuclear-armed China next door (China fought a war with India, taking territory in 1962).
In an exceptional move, Israel is expected to attend Tuesday's conference opening as an observer for the first time in 20 years. A senior Israeli official said that the Israeli decision to attend was meant to demonstrate Israel’s positive attitude and to clarify that it is the Arab countries that are blocking progress toward convening a conference on a nuclear weapons-free Middle East. “We hope that following our move, the Arab countries will make a similarly positive move and support direct talks with Israel on the security situation in the Middle East,” the senior official said.
Israel has gone to great lengths to maintain the ambiguity of its nuclear weapons program. The Guardian is running a
blog post about Mordechai Vanunu while discussing Israel's participation at the NPT.
Meanwhile, Reuters is also reporting on Iranian/US statements about the P5+1 negotiations with Iran: Kerry says Iran, world powers closer than ever to historic nuclear deal
"We are, in fact, closer than ever to the good, comprehensive deal that we have been seeking, and if we can get there, the entire world will be safer," Kerry told the 191 NPT parties, adding that bringing Iran back into compliance with the pact was always at the heart of negotiations with Tehran.
"Beside taking part in the conference, we have come here to listen to Americans' explanations on the U.S. administration's undertakings and its domestic policies," Zarif said.
"We consider the U.S. government responsible for fulfilling its international commitments under international laws," he said. "No government can evade such commitments because of its domestic issues."
Which seems to be a dig at the rift between Republicans and Democrats on the Iranian deal.
Few more notes below the fold...
Washington Post is also carrying the story: World ‘closer than ever’ to Iran nuclear deal, Kerry says
Immediate concerns at the conference include the lack of progress in disarmament by the United States and Russia, who between them hold more than 90 percent of those weapons. Civil society groups say nuclear powers are spending billions of dollars to instead modernize their arsenals. The United States says it is “maintaining and servicing” instead.
Few breakthroughs are expected at the conference as diplomats warn of Cold War-style tensions over Ukraine and other issues. “I know as well as anyone that we have a long way to go” on the path to a nuclear-free world, Kerry said, acknowledging that “we know that we can cut back even further.”
[...]
Meanwhile, the Palestinians marked their first conference as a state party to the treaty.
Both Ban and the IAEA chief, as well as Japan and South Korea, expressed concern on another pressing issue at the conference: North Korea’s nuclear program and the lack of talks to address it.