Former Israeli foreign minister Schlomo Ben Ami and Merav Zafary-Odiz of Israel’s Atomic Energy Commission (IAEC) attended the Middle East Regional Meeting of the International Commission on Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament in Cairo between September 28 and 30.

Iran was represented by Ali Ashgar Soltanieh, its envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Egyptian official said.

‘During the first session Ben Ami and Soltanieh spoke,’ he said.

‘We had round-table discussions... then there were cross-table discussions. It was rather polemical, with accusations.

‘Soltanieh said the Iranians do not have a (nuclear) bomb and do not want the bomb but the Israelis said that was not true,’ the official said, adding that he did not know if the Israelis and Iranians had also met bilaterally on the sidelines.