John Bolton, United States ambassador to the United Nations, on Thursday said the nuclear status of India and Pakistan was 'legitimate' as neither country had signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Thus, "they were not in violation of the NPT, having never signed it," Bolton said.

In contrast, he pointed out, Iran had signed the NPT in 1970 and had forfeited its right to obtain nuclear weapons.

The NPT allows only five States -- the US, Britain, China, Russia and France -- to have nuclear weapons.

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