UN nuclear agency chief asks Israel to consider signing the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty

UN nuclear chief asks Israel to join treaty

VIENNA — The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency has asked Israel to consider signing up to the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

Israel refuses to confirm it possesses a nuclear arsenal but it is widely considered to be the Middle East’s only nuclear power.

A report by the Vienna-based watchdog made public Friday says agency chief Yukiya Amano “invited Israel to consider to accede” to the treaty during a low-key visit to the country last month.

The report also contained a July 26 letter from Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman that pointed the finger at Iran and Syria as the region’s “real proliferation challenges.”