Israeli WMDs pose ‘serious threat’ to regional, global peace: Araghchi
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The Iranian Foreign Minister's announcement came during the 2025 Conference on Disarmament High-level Segment, highlighting that "Israel's" weapons prevent a Middle East free of nuclear weapons.
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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi attends a joint news briefing with his Turkmen counterpart Rashid Meredov, in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025 (AP)
"Israel's" weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), including its nuclear weapons, continue to pose a threat to regional and global peace and security, said Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Speaking during the 2025 United Nations Conference on Disarmament High-level Segment in Geneva on Monday, Araghchi emphasized that "Israel's" possession of WMDs "prevents a nuclear-weapon-free Middle East, which was first proposed by Iran in 1974," adding that “the international community must hold the regime accountable and compel it to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) to eliminate its nuclear weapons completely and place all of its nuclear activities under the comprehensive supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).”
He called on the international community and the UN to prioritize nuclear disarmament, highlighting the "threat of nuclear weapons and their catastrophic human and environmental and environmental repercussions."
The Iranian foreign minister stressed the necessity of establishing a comprehensive convention on nuclear weapons, adding that the international community must ensure that nuclear-armed states and entities are held accountable for fulfilling their legal obligations.
“Failure to comply with legally binding obligations related to nuclear disarmament, especially under Article 6 of the NPT, will weaken the disarmament and arms control regime,” he asserted.
He cautioned against the spread of armed conflicts, highlighting that some countries spend vast sums on producing and storing weapons, which sustains a "vicious cycle of insecurity and bloodshed in the region worldwide."
He highlighted "Israel's" brutality in Gaza, including genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity committed, completely destroying the Strip and killing tens of thousands of civilians, including women, children, and the elderly.
“Never in history have so many journalists, medical personnel, and UN staff been killed in an armed conflict. The war crimes, ethnic cleansing, forced displacement, and mass starvation perpetrated by the Israeli regime must never go unpunished," the top Iranian diplomat maintained.
A UN General Assembly resolution in 1978 established several mechanisms to address disarmament issues, including the Conference on Disarmament, the only multilateral international body focused on disarmament and arms control.
The United Nations Conference on Disarmament High-Level Segment is held in Geneva each year, featuring high-ranking officials from member countries who discuss and exchange views while presenting their national positions on issues such as international peace and security, disarmament, and arms control.
Sanctions on medications hurt Iranian people
In a different context, the Iranian FM Araghchi also highlighted the suffering of Iranians in a speech at the 58th Commission of Human Rights in Geneva, saying, "Millions of people in Iran are victims of human rights violations due to medication sanctions."
"We have been and are seeking to secure human rights for all people in the world. Iran has always been a victim of past policies," he explained, adding, "In the past decades, the Islamic Republic of Iran has worked hard for human rights. By following Islamic values, we have sought the rights of all minorities."
