NEW YORK, Apr 28: Iran has been elected vice-president of the ongoing Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in New York, a development Tehran described as recognition of its longstanding position in favour of a nuclear-weapon-free world.
Iran has been elected as a vice president of the ongoing NPT Review Conference in New York, the country’s mission to the UN said, even though the country is in violation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, according to the UN nuclear watchdog.
In a statement, Iran’s mission to the UN in Vienna said the election reflects the country’s “role and advocacy” for global nuclear disarmament. It noted that Iran was among the earliest signatories to the NPT and recalled its 1974 proposal calling for a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East. Reaffirming its official stance, Tehran reiterated its position: “nuclear energy for all, nuclear weapons for none.”
The statement also highlighted Iran’s claim of a religious prohibition on nuclear weapons, referring to a decree issued by its late Supreme Leader banning their use.
Last year, the 35-member board of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) adopted a resolution declaring that Iran is in breach of its non-proliferation obligations for the first time since 2005.
The IAEA said at the time Iran had consistently failed to provide information about undeclared nuclear material and activities at multiple locations.
Meanwhile, addressing the conference, United Nations Secretary-General Ant nio Guterres issued a warning over the growing risks posed by nuclear weapons, cautioning that the world is slipping into a “dangerous state of amnesia” about their catastrophic consequences.
He recalled that the global push for nuclear disarmament dates back to the very first resolution of the UN General Assembly in 1946, but warned that decades of progress are now under strain. “Nuclear sabers are rattling once more. Mistrust is rising. Arms control is eroding,” he said.
Guterres pointed to a surge in global military spending, which reached $2.7 trillion last year, alongside a worrying increase in nuclear warheads-the first such rise in decades. He also flagged renewed discussions around nuclear testing and the possibility of more states seeking to acquire nuclear weapons.
“The only reason the world avoided catastrophe in the past was because leaders chose restraint,” he said, reiterating that “a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought.”
Calling the NPT the “bedrock” of global non-proliferation efforts, Guterres urged member states to honour their commitments without delay or conditions. He stressed the need to strengthen verification mechanisms under the International Atomic Energy Agency and reinforce norms against nuclear testing.
He further warned that emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing are adding new dimensions to nuclear risk, underscoring the need for the treaty to evolve in response to modern challenges.
The conference comes at a time of heightened geopolitical tensions and weakening arms control frameworks, placing renewed focus on the credibility and future of the global non-proliferation regime.
(UNI)
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