Message of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution to the International Disarmament Conference

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

I welcome you, esteemed guests, who have gathered here. It is a source of joy that the Islamic Republic of Iran is today hosting the International Disarmament Conference, hoping that you will take advantage of this opportunity and present the enduring and valuable results that you achieve through dialogue and consultation to the human community.

Nuclear science and technology is one of humanity's greatest achievements that can and must serve the welfare of the nations of the world and the growth and development of all human societies. The scope of nuclear science applications covers a wide range of medical, energy, and industrial needs, each of which holds significant importance. For this reason, it can be said that nuclear technology occupies a prominent place in economic life, and with the passage of time and the increasing industrial, medical, and energy needs, its importance will grow even more, and correspondingly, the efforts to achieve nuclear energy and utilize it will also increase. The nations of the Middle East, like other nations of the world, who are thirsty for peace, security, and progress, have the right to ensure the economic standing and superior position of their future generations by utilizing this technology. Perhaps one of the goals of clouding the atmosphere regarding the peaceful nuclear programs of the Islamic Republic of Iran is to prevent the serious attention of the nations of the region to this natural and valuable right of theirs.

Ironically, the only nuclear criminal in the world now falsely claims to be fighting against the proliferation of nuclear weapons while certainly taking no serious action in this regard and will never do so. If the claim of fighting against the proliferation of nuclear weapons by the United States were not a lie, could the Zionist regime have transformed the occupied land of Palestine into a warehouse filled with nuclear weapons while refusing to accept international regulations in this area, especially the NPT?

The name of the atom, as much as it signifies the advancement of human knowledge, unfortunately also reminds us of the ugliest event in history and the greatest genocide and misuse of human scientific achievement. Although many countries have engaged in the production and accumulation of nuclear weapons, which in itself can be considered a precursor to committing a crime and has severely threatened global peace, only one government has committed nuclear crimes. It is only the United States government that attacked the oppressed nation of Japan in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in an unequal and inhumane war with nuclear weapons.

Since the explosion of the first nuclear weapons by the United States in Hiroshima and Nagasaki created an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe in history and posed a tremendous threat to human security, the necessity of the complete destruction of these weapons has been firmly agreed upon by the global community. The use of nuclear weapons not only led to widespread killing and destruction but also made no distinction among individuals, military and civilian, young and old, male and female, and even children, and its inhumane effects transcended political and geographical borders, inflicting irreparable damages on future generations as well. Therefore, any use and even the threat of use of this weapon is considered a serious violation of the most fundamental humanitarian rules and a clear example of a war crime. From a military and security perspective, following the acquisition of this inhumane weapon by several powers, there remains no doubt that victory in a nuclear war is impossible and engaging in such a war is irrational and inhumane. Yet, despite these moral, rational, human, and even military truths, the repeated and firm demand of the global community for the destruction of these weapons has been ignored by a handful of governments that have built their imaginary security on the insecurity of all.

The insistence of these governments on maintaining, increasing, and expanding the destructive capability of these weapons, which have no application other than intimidation and mass terror and creating false security based on the deterrence resulting from guaranteed mutual destruction, has led to the continuation of the nuclear nightmare of the world. Countless economic and human resources have been irrationally spent in competition so that each of the superpowers can imagine they have the capability to destroy their rivals and other inhabitants of the planet, including themselves, more than ten thousand times over. It is no wonder that this strategy has been termed deterrence based on guaranteed mutual destruction or madness.

Some nuclear states in recent years have gone beyond the theory of deterrence against other nuclear powers based on guaranteed mutual destruction to the extent that their nuclear strategy emphasizes maintaining nuclear options against conventional threats from violators of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, while the biggest violators of the Non-Proliferation Treaty are the powers that, in addition to violating their commitments under Article 6 of the treaty for nuclear disarmament, have even outpaced others in both vertical and horizontal proliferation of these weapons, including by assisting the arming of the Zionist regime with nuclear weapons and supporting its policies, playing a direct role in the actual proliferation of these weapons, contrary to their commitments under Article 1 of the treaty, and have posed a serious threat to the Middle East and the world, with the United States being at the forefront of these governments.

It is appropriate for the International Disarmament Conference, while examining the dangers of the production and accumulation of nuclear weapons in the world, to realistically present solutions to confront this threat against humanity so that a serious step can be taken towards safeguarding global peace and stability.

In our view, in addition to nuclear weapons, other types of weapons of mass destruction, such as chemical and biological weapons, are also considered a serious threat to humanity. The Iranian nation, which itself is a victim of the use of chemical weapons, feels the danger of the production and accumulation of such weapons more than other nations and is ready to mobilize all its resources to confront it.

We consider the use of these weapons to be forbidden and believe that the effort to protect humanity from this great calamity is the duty of all.

Sayyid Ali Khamenei

27/Ordibehesht/1389

1/Jamadi al-Awwal/1431