The opening day of the 11th review conference for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty at United Nations headquarters in New York was marked by a sharp exchange between the United States and Iran over both Tehran's nuclear program and its appointment to a leadership role at the month-long meeting.
Conference delegates selected 34 vice presidents from different regional and political groupings. Vietnam's U.N. ambassador Do Hung Viet, who serves as conference chair, said Iran was chosen by "the group of non-aligned and other states."
Christopher Yeaw, assistant secretary for the U.S. Bureau of Arms Control and Nonproliferation, addressed the meeting and denounced Iran's selection. He called the appointment an "affront" to the NPT and said it was "indisputable that Iran has long demonstrated its contempt for the non-proliferation commitments of the NPT," adding that Iran had "refused to cooperate with the U.N. nuclear watchdog to resolve questions about its program." Yeaw described Iran's selection as "beyond shameful and an embarrassment to the credibility of this conference."
Tehran's representative at the International Atomic Energy Agency, Reza Najafi, responded directly to the U.S. accusations, rejecting them as "baseless and politically motivated." In his remarks to the meeting, Najafi criticized the United States, asserting "It is indefensible that United States, as the only state ever to have used nuclear weapons, and the one that continues to expand and modernize its nuclear arsenal... seeks to position itself as an arbitrator of the compliance."
The dispute over Iran's role at the conference comes amid broader tensions tied to the nuclear issue. The nuclear question has figured centrally in the two-month war involving Iran, the United States and Israel, with U.S. President Donald Trump reiterating that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.
Iran has long insisted it seeks uranium enrichment solely for peaceful purposes and has demanded that Washington recognize that right - a point of contention with Western powers who say enrichment could be diverted to weapons use. Tehran maintains it does not seek nuclear weapons. Separately, the International Atomic Energy Agency and the U.S. intelligence community have assessed that Iran had a nuclear weapons development program which it dismantled in 2003.
On the diplomatic front, Iranian sources disclosed a proposal that would postpone discussion of Tehran's nuclear program until the ongoing war is concluded and disputes over shipping from the Gulf are resolved. The plan, as described by those sources, would effectively set aside nuclear questions while other conflicts are addressed.
Meanwhile in Washington, President Trump and senior national security aides held a meeting on Monday to discuss the conflict. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters that "the president’s red lines with respect to Iran have been made very, very clear, not just to the American public, but also to them as well."
As the month-long NPT review conference proceeds, the early confrontation between U.S. and Iranian delegations highlights the diplomatic friction surrounding both state conduct under the treaty and the broader regional conflict. Delegates will continue work over the coming weeks as these disagreements remain unresolved.