WANA (Sep 05) – The Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations emphasized that the Israeli regime threatens other countries in the region with nuclear annihilation.

 

Amir Saeed Iravani, Iran’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, speaking at the General Assembly, during the International Day Against Nuclear Tests, stated: “The commemoration of this day is an opportunity for the international community to pressure Israel into joining the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) without any preconditions and to place all its nuclear facilities under the comprehensive safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).”

 

He added, “The current situation is concerning, as Israel threatens other countries in the region with nuclear destruction, and its nuclear arsenal poses a serious threat to regional and global peace and security.”

 

The full text of the Iranian Ambassador’s speech at the UN is as follows:

 

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

 

Mr. President,

 

First, I would like to thank you for holding this meeting. I also wish to join other representatives in expressing my gratitude to the Republic of Kazakhstan for its initiative in promoting the International Day Against Nuclear Tests.

 

Indeed, this day is an occasion to honor the victims of nuclear tests—people who suffered in the past, are suffering now, and will continue to suffer in the future due to the lasting effects of radioactive radiation, the majority of whom were not citizens of the countries conducting these tests.

 

Commemorating this day also reflects the international community’s commitment to protecting the environment from the devastating effects of nuclear tests, many of which have been conducted beyond the borders of the countries responsible.

 

In this regard, the recognition of this day as an international event demonstrates the global community’s long-standing commitment to ending nuclear weapons tests, which is essential for achieving a world free of nuclear weapons.

 

Mr. President,

On this International Day Against Nuclear Tests, special attention should be directed at countries possessing nuclear weapons, as they have the capability to conduct such tests. Since 1945, nearly 2,000 tests have been carried out, of which the United States alone has conducted 1,054.

 

At a time when all nuclear-armed countries are planning to modernize, upgrade, or extend the lifespan of their nuclear weapons and facilities, and are aiming to develop new and more usable nuclear weapons, it is crucial to end nuclear weapons tests.

 

In this context, the nuclear-armed states (NWSs) bear the primary responsibility. They must take practical steps to halt all forms of nuclear weapons testing. At the 2000 NPT Review Conference, the nuclear-armed states committed to signing and ratifying the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) without delay, one of 13 practical steps for implementing Article VI of the NPT.

 

The nuclear-armed states have a primary responsibility for ensuring the entry into force of the CTBT and should take the lead in this effort. Ratification of this treaty by the nuclear-armed states would be a significant step in rebuilding the trust of non-nuclear-weapon states (NNWSs) and the international community.

 

The current situation indicates that, regardless of the importance of voluntary moratoriums on nuclear tests, these moratoriums cannot substitute for a global, comprehensive, and legally binding prohibition on all types of nuclear explosions, including alternative methods.

 

Mr. President,

Commemorating this day also provides an opportunity for the international community to press Israel to join the NPT without any preconditions and place all its nuclear facilities under the full supervision of the IAEA. The current situation is alarming, as Israel threatens other countries in the region with nuclear destruction, and its nuclear arsenal constitutes a serious threat to regional and global peace and security.

 

Mr. President,

As we commemorate this day, we must renew our commitment to the noble and humanitarian goal of complete nuclear disarmament, which is the only absolute guarantee against the threat or use of these inhumane weapons.

 

The Islamic Republic of Iran, as one of the signatories to the CTBT, views this treaty as a step toward nuclear disarmament and believes it cannot replace the complete elimination of nuclear weapons. Consequently, nuclear disarmament must remain the top priority of the international community, and all forms of nuclear testing must be decisively banned. Such tests not only contradict the spirit and text of the CTBT but, more importantly, constitute a violation of the legal obligations of nuclear-armed states under Article VI of the NPT.