Background document prepared by the International Atomic Energy Agency at the Sixth Session of the Conference on the Establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other WMD

Background document prepared by the International Atomic Energy Agency at the Sixth Session of the Conference on the Establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other WMD

The background document prepared by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reviews its role in supporting the establishment of a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. The document highlights that most Middle Eastern States have comprehensive safeguards agreements under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, while Iran applies a safeguards agreement but has suspended its Additional Protocol since February 2021. Israel, which is not a Party to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, maintains INFCIRC/66-type safeguards limited to specific facilities. It also describes IAEA’s experience with existing nuclear-weapon-free zones worldwide and its readiness to provide technical and legal support for similar arrangements in the Middle East.