Iran calls for ‘total elimination’ of nuclear weapons

The Iranian ambassador to the United Nations has called for the “total elimination” of all nuclear arms, describing such weapons as the “greatest threat” to humanity.

“Nuclear weapons are the greatest threat to our life, to the life of our children, to the present and future generations, to the security of our planet and the whole humanity,” Mohammad Khazaei told a meeting of the Disarmament and International Security Committee of the UN General Assembly on Monday.

The Iranian envoy further called for global disarmament and stressed that, “The total elimination of these inhuman weapons is the only absolute guarantee against their threat or use.”

Khazaei made the comments after the UN General Assembly’s First Committee passed a disarmament resolution that called for the abolition of all nuclear weapons.

The resolution, which had the support of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), was put forward by Iran. It was approved with 129 votes in favor, 28 against, and 19 abstentions.

According to Ambassador Khazaei, Tehran’s three recommendations, made by Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani at the General Assembly meeting in September, had also been included in the resolution.

Rouhani’s suggestions include the assignment of September 26 of each year as the international day for the full elimination of nuclear arms, the holding of a high-level summit on nuclear disarmament in 2018 and the immediate beginning of talks to sign an international convention aimed at banning such weapons.