On Monday, the United States strongly criticized the United Nations’ choice to appoint Iran as the vice-president for a month-long assessment of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
Christopher Yeo, the Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Bureau of Arms Control and Nonproliferation, called Iran’s position a “farce” and described it as an “insult” to the treaty, particularly noting Iran’s evident “disregard for non-proliferation commitments.”
“Instead of utilizing this review conference to uphold the integrity of the NPT and make Iran accountable, they opt to elect Iran as vice president. This is beyond shame and jeopardizes the credibility of the conference,” Yeo emphasized.
The U.S. was joined in its dissent by countries including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Australia, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany.
In response, Reza Najafi, Iran’s ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), dismissed Yeo’s remarks as “baseless and politically motivated.”
Najafi argued that it was “indefensible” for the U.S., “the only country ever to use nuclear weapons and one that continues to expand and modernize its nuclear arsenal,” to position itself as a judge of compliance.
Iran was selected as vice president by a “group of non-aligned and other countries” during a nominating vote on April 8.
The NPT meeting, which began at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City on Monday, will take place until May 22. It will gather 191 parties to the treaty, making it the largest signatory coalition for arms control agreements, alongside 34 vice-chairs. These meetings occur every five years, and the NPT itself took effect in 1970.
Hillel Neuer, Executive Director of UN Watch, noted on Tuesday that Iran’s role as vice-chair at the NPT conference reflects a “disturbing trend,” including Iran’s recent nomination to various U.N. committees related to human rights, women’s rights, and counter-terrorism.
“Iran is securing senior roles across the UN framework, from human rights bodies to significant committees. Each of these appointments undermines the credibility of the international organization and reinforces the view that political maneuvering outweighs fundamental standards of conduct,” Neuer cautioned.
In June 2025, the IAEA officially reported that Iran was non-compliant with its nuclear non-proliferation obligations, leading Israel and the U.S. to conduct airstrikes on Iran’s uranium enrichment sites. Following Tehran’s persistent efforts to develop nuclear weapons, the U.S. and Israel launched a broad series of operations in March, which the U.S. referred to as Operation Epic Fury.
