Iran has warned of the catastrophic consequences of the United States’ continued expansion and modernization of its nuclear arsenal, saying Washington’s nuclear policies threaten all humanity decades after it became the only country to use atomic weapons in warfare.
Iran’s permanent mission in Vienna issued the statement on Wednesday to mark the anniversary of the US atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, describing the attacks as a lasting reminder of the devastating human consequences of nuclear weapons.
“Preventing future tragedies such as the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki requires genuine commitment to nuclear disarmament and the establishment of a world free from weapons of mass destruction,” the mission said.
It emphasized that the mass deaths, widespread destruction and deadly radiation caused by the bombings, whose effects were felt even by generations born afterward, underscore the urgent need to eliminate all nuclear weapons.
“As a State party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), Iran supports the total elimination of all nuclear weapons, reaffirms its unwavering commitment to a world free of them, and at the same time, defends its legitimate right to the peaceful use of nuclear science and energy,” the statement continued.
The Iranian mission noted that the United States remains the only country to have used nuclear weapons in warfare, while continuing to expand and modernize its nuclear arsenal.
It further stressed that Washington, despite being a signatory to the NPT, has failed for decades to fulfill its obligations regarding nuclear disarmament.
The United States signed the NPT in 1968, when the treaty was opened for signature. Under the treaty, Washington is recognized as one of five nuclear-weapon states, alongside Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom.
The statement came as Hiroshima on Thursday marked the 81st anniversary of the US atomic bombing of the Japanese city.
Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui denounced major powers for justifying nuclear weapons through the concept of so-called deterrence, warning that such policies could fuel cycles of violence.
“Downplaying the inhumanity of nuclear weapons and accepting the use of force to pursue one’s own prosperity risk cycles of violent retaliation that could ultimately result in another Hiroshima or Nagasaki,” Matsui stated.
Matsui stressed that the continued belief in nuclear deterrence “simply pushes a world without nuclear weapons further into the distance.”
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also called for renewed efforts to eliminate nuclear threats, describing Hiroshima as “an inspiring example of resilience, renewal and hope.”
“The horror of nuclear weapons is just one lesson of Hiroshima. Another is the need to build a world in which the threat or use of these weapons becomes unthinkable,” Guterres said in a written statement.
The anniversary came amid growing debate in Japan over its long-standing non-nuclear policy, as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government considers changes to the country’s security and defense framework later this year.
Takaichi’s government is considering a review of Japan’s three non-nuclear principles, which prohibit possessing nuclear weapons, producing them and allowing their introduction into Japanese territory.
Takaichi has specifically advocated reviewing the third principle, which potentially allows the US to deploy nuclear weapons across Japan.
