Iranian UN ambassador says even one nuclear weapon is unacceptable

UNITED NATIONS, New York — More than two-thirds of the 192 members of the United Nations negotiated the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, marking the first time a global treaty has been prepared that could lead to the destruction of all nuclear weapons.

"Today is a historic day since this is the first time after 70 years of the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and almost 50 years after the conclusion of the NPT [Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons]," Iran's ambassador to the UN and to international organizations Reza Najafi told Rudaw correspondent Majeed Gly.

The 122 representatives to the UN voting in favor did not include any of the world’s nine nuclear armed countries. The Netherlands, as the only NATO member that participated in the conference but does have nuclear weapons on its soil, voted against the treaty. Singapore did not vote.

"We should continue, we should put pressure, we should not be tired of continuing this lofty goal, which is in our view in the benefit of all humanity. The existence of even one nuclear weapon is against humanity,” Khoshroo said.

The document will be open for signature by UN member states in September after the General Assembly and would need to be ratified by 50 countries. 

The 1968 Non Proliferation Treaty was signed by most countries aimed at nuclear disarmament.

The United States is the only nation to use a nuclear bomb. In 1945, near the end of World War II, the United States dropped one bomb on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, respectively. The actions killed at least 129,000.

"Nuclear disarmament cannot take place in a vacuum. It would require a transformation of the international security environment, consensus-based approaches that include states that possess nuclear weapons as well as those that do not, rigorous verification, and swift and sure enforcement against any potential violation," stated US Department of State spokesperson Heather Nauert, adding that the US is "fully committed to responsible nonproliferation and disarmament efforts" and to the NPT.
 

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