"Blairs comments were seen in stark contrast to the recent threats of sanctions he has made against Iran, which unlike Israel, is a signatory to the NPT and is subjected to regular IAEA tests .."

In response to a written parliamentary question published Friday, Blair insisted that the "priority for the visit was to discuss road map implementation and bilateral relations."

Despite its reported arsenal of 400 nuclear warheads, Blair said that his government "constantly urge Israel to accede to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) as a non-nuclear weapons sate and to sign a full-scope safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)."

Blairs comments were seen in stark contrast to the recent threats of sanctions he has made against Iran, which unlike Israel, is a signatory to the NPT and is subjected to regular IAEA tests that have produced no evidence contrary to its civilian nuclear program.

The British premier said that the last time the issue was raised with Israel was only at official-level talks in Tel Aviv that were held before the launch of the Iraq war on March five.

Under an IAEA agreement, Israels nuclear facilities would be subjected to regular inspection to "detect and eliminate any diversion of nuclear materials for weapons production," Blair argued.

But Blair added that the UK had constantly supported UN resolutions, calling for the establishment of a Middle East zone free of weapons of mass destruction and that the "zone would include Israel."

-[Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).]