Press TV (17 April 2010) - The Leader of the Islamic Revolution says the US is the one and only nuclear criminal that falsely claims to be fighting against the spread of nuclear weapons.

Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior aide to Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, read the Leader's message to the Tehran conference which opened on Saturday.

In the message, the Leader criticized US double standards over the nuclear issue and called Washington the only nuclear criminal.

"The one and only nuclear criminal of the world now falsely claims to be fighting the spread of nuclear weapons but has definitely not taken and will not take any serious action regarding the issue," read the message.

"There is only one government that has committed nuclear crime and that is the government of the US, which launched nuclear attacks against the innocent Japanese people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in an inhumane asymmetrical war," it added.

"If the campaign by the United States was not fictitious, could the Zionist regime refrain from accepting the rules of international law, especially the non-proliferation regime, and turn the occupied land of Palestine into an arsenal with huge stockpiles of nuclear weapons?" asked the Leader.

Ayatollah Khamenei said that stockpiling, using or threatening to use nuclear weapons all amounted to war crimes and lashed out at countries that continue to amass nuclear weapons to guarantee their security at the expense of endangering the global security.

A handful of countries have, however, snubbed the international community's request for denuclearization and continue to maintain their weapons, ignorant of the fact that such weapons would only bring them nothing but false security, the statement said.

The Leader said the world community was unanimous in the stance that nuclear weapons must be eliminated and reiterated that the use of nuclear weapons was also haram, which means forbidden, in Islam.

Ayatollah Khamenei also noted in the message that peaceful nuclear technology belonged to all nations including Middle Eastern countries.

"The nations of the Middle East, like other nations of the world, are thirsting for peace, security and progress" and therefore "have the right to ensure the economic position and prosperity of the future generations" through using nuclear technology.

The Leader stressed that Iran was ready to help fight the use and spread of all forms of weapons of mass destruction including nuclear and chemical ones.

Ayatollah Khamenei also hoped that Tehran's summit would find a method to globalize denuclearization treaties.

"It behoves this international conference on disarmament to review and examine the perils resulting from production and stockpiling of nuclear weapons in the world and to present sensible and practical ways and solutions to counter this threat against humanity so serious steps could be taken toward protecting world peace and security."