If the Vienna deal is to mean anything, the whole of the Middle East must rid itself of weapons of mass destruction

We � Iran and its interlocutors in the group of nations known as the P5+1 � have finally achieved the shared objective of turning the Iranian nuclear programme from an unnecessary crisis into a platform for cooperation on nuclear non-proliferation and beyond. The nuclear deal reached in Vienna this month is not a ceiling but a solid foundation on which we must build. The joint comprehensive plan of action, as the accord is officially known, cements Iran�s status as a zone free of nuclear weapons. Now it is high time that we expand that zone to encompass the entire Middle East.

Iran�s push for a ban on weapons of mass destruction in its regional neighbourhood has been consistent. The fact that it precedes Saddam Hussein�s systematic use of WMDs against Iran (never reciprocated in kind) is evidence of the depth of my country�s commitment to this noble cause. And while Iran has received the support of some of its Arab friends in this endeavour, Israel � home to the Middle East�s only nuclear weapons programme � has been the holdout. In the light of the historic nuclear deal, we must address this challenge head on.

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This article was written by Javad Zarif for The Guardian on July 31, 2015. Javad Zarif is the Iranian foreign minister