Islamic nations push to strip Israel’s nuclear ambiguity
Organization of Islamic Cooperation resolves to unite at the UN to bring Israel under global nuclear controls
By Iftikhar Gilani
ISTANBUL, Türkiye (MNTV) – In a significant move, the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) resolved on Saturday to mount a diplomatic offensive at the United Nations demanding that Israel join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
At a closed-door meeting on the sidelines of the 51st Council of Foreign Ministers session in Istanbul, the 57-member grouping decided to approach the UN to force Israel to submit its undeclared nuclear arsenal to full inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The close door meeting, initiated at Iran’s request, marked a rare unified stance among Muslim nations against what they termed “Israel’s state terror” and nuclear impunity.
Sources privy to the discussions confirmed to MNTV that the member states agreed to coordinate international efforts aimed at ending Israel’s decades-long nuclear ambiguity and bringing it within the ambit of global non-proliferation mechanisms.
Israel, widely believed to possess between 90 and 400 nuclear warheads, remains one of the few countries outside the NPT framework and has never officially acknowledged its arsenal.
Intelligence estimates suggest it maintains a nuclear triad: air-based delivery through F-15 and F-16 fighter jets, submarine-launched cruise missiles from Dolphin-class vessels, and Jericho series ballistic missiles.
The diplomatic initiative unfolds as the Turkish metropolis hosts one of the most crucial OIC gatherings in recent years under the theme “The OIC in a Transforming World.”
Erdoğan blasts Israel
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan inaugurated the conference with a fiery address condemning Israel’s widening military aggression.
Speaking with palpable emotion, he declared: “We will not allow the establishment of a new Sykes-Picot order in our region whose borders are drawn with blood.” He described Israel’s military conduct as “banditry” and “state terror” and offered unequivocal support to Iran and Palestine.
Erdoğan said the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe surpasses even the horrors of Nazi concentration camps.
Turning to Israel’s strikes on Iran, Erdoğan said: “I condemn Israel’s attacks on Iran in the strongest terms.” Since June 13, Israeli strikes have targeted Iranian military and nuclear sites, triggering retaliation from Tehran. According to Iran’s Health Ministry, 430 people have been killed and over 3,500 wounded. Israel claims at least 25 casualties on its side in the retaliatory missile barrages.
Erdoğan warned the world of a brewing regional conflagration reminiscent of the lead-up to World War II. “Just as Hitler’s spark lit the world on fire 90 years ago, Netanyahu’s Zionist ambitions threaten a catastrophe of similar proportions,” he said.
Foreign ministers attending the summit, including Türkiye’s Hakan Fidan, reiterated the urgent need to curtail Israel’s nuclear opacity. “This is not just a Palestine or Iran problem,” Fidan said. “This is an Israel problem—destabilizing the entire region.”
The OIC initiative is aimed not only at internationalizing the issue but also at exposing what Erdoğan called “the hypocrisy of Western powers” that ignore Israel’s nuclear weapons while pressuring others. “Israel, which refuses all inspections and flaunts international norms, cannot dictate terms to countries like Iran, which are NPT signatories,” Erdoğan asserted.
The Turkish President accused the Netanyahu government of deliberately sabotaging regional diplomacy. “They want no resolution. They want to escalate and expand this war. Israel is now not only attacking Gaza and the West Bank but also Lebanon, Syria, Yemen—and now Iran,” he said.
Erdoğan also sounded an alarm over increasing provocations at the Al-Aqsa Mosque and threats to the historical status of Jerusalem. “We will never watch silently while the sanctity of our first qibla is violated,” he said, urging the global Muslim community to resist moves aimed at redrawing Middle East borders under the guise of security.
He rejected any suggestion that Israel’s aggressive posture would bring long-term peace or security. “Israel cannot ensure its security by threatening its neighbors,” Erdoğan said. “They will soon realize that fire breeds fire, not peace.”
Calling for a renewed pan-Islamic solidarity, Erdoğan stressed the importance of unity in confronting Israel’s regional agenda. “The fate of Istanbul is tied to Damascus, Tehran, Makkah, and Jerusalem. We are all children of the same ummah,” he declared.
Quoting the Prophet Muhammad, he urged the bloc to close ranks: “Two is better than one, three is better than two, and four is better than three—agree.”
Erdoğan voiced disappointment over divisions among Palestinian factions and urged them to achieve unity. “It saddens us that while we mobilize for Palestine, we still see division among our brothers.”
He called on Muslim nations to transform “polarization into solidarity” and said the OIC must evolve into a single strategic pole in a multipolar world. “We are on the eve of a new era where the Islamic world will play a far greater role—but it must also assume greater responsibility.”
President Erdoğan welcomed Syria’s return to the OIC fold and hailed its “victory through sacrifice,” urging all member states to support Syria’s sovereignty and unity.
He also stressed the importance of supporting Muslim minorities globally, calling them “bridges between the OIC and the wider world.”
He singled out the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), warning against Israeli attempts to paralyze it. “We must support UNRWA materially and morally,” he said, announcing the opening of a representative office in Ankara to deepen Türkiye’s commitment.
As Türkiye assumes the OIC’s term presidency, Erdoğan vowed to use the role to “amplify the voice of the Muslim world, pursue global justice, and stand firmly against all oppression.”
Despite the bleak backdrop of war and rising tensions, the Istanbul summit has laid down a roadmap—one that includes confronting nuclear imbalance, defending occupied peoples, and reasserting Islamic unity as a global force for peace.
“The believers are but brothers,” Erdoğan quoted the Quran. “So reconcile between your brothers and fear Allah that you may receive mercy.”
The coming weeks will test the OIC’s resolve—not only in confronting Israel diplomatically, but in transforming unity of voice into unity of action.
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