Iran warns against Israeli nuclear arsenal, violation of holy shrines

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for International Affairs Muhammad Jawad Zarif has warned about the dangers of Israel's possession of nuclear weapons. Describing the Israeli nuclear arsenal, the Iranian official said: "It could have far-reaching consequences on the security of the region and the world."

In statements he made on Sunday in Tehran, Zarif said that Israel constitutes the most dangerous nuclear threat to the region's security. He called upon the international community to step up efforts to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons. He demanded that a nuclear ban must cover all the region's countries, including Israel.

Iran also condemned excavation works in the holy places and settlement building operations carried out by the Israeli authorities in Jerusalem. Spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry Muhammad Muhammadi said in a statement on Sunday that his country strongly opposed the aggressive Israeli practices which aim at changing the geography and structure of holy Jerusalem.

"The practices reveal the aggressive and expansionist nature of Israel," the Iranian official noted, stressing that such Israeli measures are intended to perpetuate Israel's dominance over occupied Palestine.