TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragut warns that the biggest threat to global stability comes from Israeli nuclear weapons and ongoing attacks in West Asia.
Araghchi made a speech to the high-level segment of the United Nations Disarmament Conference held in Geneva, Switzerland on Monday.
Araguchi has condemned Israel as the biggest obstacle to peace in West Asia and stockpiled weapons of mass destruction while refusing to comply with international disarmament treaties. He said Israel continues to hamper their efforts to establish a nuclear-weaponless zone in West Asia, the Iranian initiative originally proposed in 1974.
He pointed to the infamous statement of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the UN General Assembly on September 22, 2023, where he openly suggested a nuclear threat to Iran. He also denounced the Israeli heritage minister, who reflected the same rhetoric against Gaza.
These statements called Israel’s ignorance of international law “shocking evidence,” and Aragut demanded that the global community hold Israel accountable. He urged the world’s forces to dismantle nuclear weapons in Israel, join the NPT as a nuclear-weapon state, and put pressure on Israel to deploy all its nuclear facilities under comprehensive IAEA protection measures. Ta.
Araguchi warned that Israel’s refusal to sign major chemical and biological weapons treaties poses a serious security risk. He also raised concerns about the possibility of such weapons being used by terrorist groups, prompting stricter international surveillance.
Additionally, he warned against the militarization of emerging technologies, including space and cyberspace, and called for legally binding treaties to ensure peaceful use.
“Massive financial investment in arms production threatens global peace”
Araghchi criticized the massive financial investment in arms production, claiming that such spending would be justified under the pretext of security and would burn a vicious cycle of war, instability and bloodshed. He noted that while the world is escalating conflict, defense contractors and military industry companies continue to make profits at the expense of global development and peace.
He condemned increased reliance on armed forces, military intervention, unilateral sanctions and political coercion. He emphasized that this dangerous trend must be reversed before it can lead to irreversible outcomes.
Araguchi highlighted an astonishing surge in military spending, which reached a record $2.44 trillion in 2023. He warned that nuclear-armed states are witnessing the arms race where nuclear-armed states are fueled by modernizing and expanding nuclear weapons and increasing geopolitical tensions. He emphasized that there are currently more than 12,000 nuclear weapons in the world’s stockpile. This is an existential threat to humanity, which calls for urgent international action.
“Crimes against humanity in the Palestine crisis”
Iran’s foreign minister has vehemently denounced Israel’s apartheid regime for being responsible for one of the worst humanitarian disasters of the 21st century. He called Israel’s actions the actions in Gaza, a horrific example of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, and moral society should not be tolerated.
He said that Israel’s ongoing war against Palestine turned Gaza into a bleed tile, killing more than 46,000 people, mainly children, women and elderly people. The number of journalists, health workers and UN officials killed in the conflict has been unprecedented in modern warfare.
“Israel’s intentional war crimes, ethnic cleansing, massive hunger and collective punishment will not be punished,” he declared, calling on the international community to take decisive action.
“Direct threat to unilateral global stability”
Araguchi criticized countries that could not recognize the dangers of unilateral action, and warned that it was eroding the foundations of international stability.
He urged world leaders to prevent unilateral unilateralism from being normalized, and reminded them that the United Nations was established to save future generations from war.
“We, the UK, are spreading nuclear threats around the world.”
Iran’s foreign minister has called on nuclear-armed states, particularly the United States, as they are promoting global non-proliferation while increasing the budget for nuclear weapons.
He also denounces the UK’s expansion of nuclear weapons and efforts to lower potential nuclear use thresholds, calling these policies reckless and dangerous.
He warned that nuclear disarmament has been suspended, particularly under Article 6 of the Non-Proliferation Treaty Clause (NPT). He reminded the global community that he repeatedly failed the NPT Review Conference in 2015 and showed that he ignored the nuclear disarmament obligations in 2022.
“Nuclear weapons remain an existential threat to humanity,” Araguchi argued. “Their use has devastating humanitarian and environmental consequences.”
“Iran has committed to global disarmament.”
Despite being a target of sanctions and military threats, Aragut reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to international disarmament efforts. He highlighted Iranian leaders at last year’s disarmament conference, where he worked with member states to break the long-standing stagnation and pushed for new initiatives.
“The world is at a turning point,” Araguchi said. “We must choose between disarmament and the spread of unidentified weapons of mass destruction.”
He called on the international community to unite in the fight against nuclear proliferation, and repeatedly prepared Iran to play a constructive role in ensuring a safer and more peaceful world.
“We owe this to future generations,” he declared.