New Delhi, June 25 (UNI) Honeymoon with the United States notwithstanding, Pakistan today described the US and Israeli attacks against Iran’s nuclear facilities as violations of international law and UN Charter and asserted that Wahington and Tel Aviv had escalated tensions even as Tehran had consistently sought negotiations.
Pakistan Defence Minister Muhammad Asif in a scathing attack on ‘’Western powers’’ for “double standards” towards Iran, accused the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of hypocrisy and selective approach in dealing with Tehran.
Mr Asif told Iranian news agency MEHR in an interview “Unlike Iran, the Westerners have destroyed the opportunity for diplomacy and are the cause of the beginning of the aggressions of the Zionist regime and the United States.”
He said Iran had consistently sought negotiations but US and Israel had escalated tensions. “The Iranians have never left the negotiating table… It is ridiculous that the West always wants Iran to return to the negotiating table,’’ he said.
The minister also denounced the IAEA for biased stance, particularly regarding Israel’s nuclear program. “A regime that is not even a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), can do anything and has the authorization to carry out any aggression,” he said in the interview.
