Statement by H.E. Mr. Amir Saeid Iravani Ambassador & Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations At the High-level Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly to Commemorate and Promote the International Day against Nuclear Tests New York, 4 September 2025   In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful Mr. President, Allow me to begin by expressing my gratitude for convening this meeting. I would also like to join other delegations in commending Kazakhstan for its initiative in promoting the International Day against Nuclear Tests. The International Day against Nuclear Tests was established to remind the world of the catastrophic consequences of nuclear testing for human health, the environment, and international peace and security, consequences that leave enduring legacies for both humanity and nature for generations to come.   As we honor the victims of past nuclear tests, we must also act to protect present and future generations from new forms of nuclear risk. Today, the dangers once associated with nuclear testing are re-emerging in another form, through deliberate attacks on safeguarded nuclear facilities. Dangers posed by nuclear tests are not confined to deliberate explosions alone; the threat or use of force against nuclear facilities entails equally grave risks. The recent reckless attacks by the Israeli regime and the United States against Iran’s nuclear facilities highlight this urgent concern. These facilities, placed under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and devoted exclusively to peaceful purposes in accordance with Article IV of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), were deliberately targeted in blatant violation of international law, including the principles of the UN Charter. Such acts constitute a direct assault on the foundations of multilateralism, undermine the confidence in this armament and non-proliferation frameworks, and pose a grave threat to international peace and security. Equally alarming are the attacks launched by the Israeli regime against Iranian cities hosting IMS Stations. These unlawful actions jeopardize the safety and integrity of IMS facilities, endanger the lives of their technical personnel, and strike at the very infrastructure that underpins the global verification regime. By undermining the broader objectives of the CTBTO, they pose a serious obstacle to the advancement of the Treaty’s entry into force. The international community must therefore unequivocally condemn these actions, demand accountability for those who violate international law, and strengthen legal protections for nuclear installations to ensure that the inviolability of peaceful nuclear facilities becomes an unshakable norm, making it clear to the perpetrators that they cannot enjoy impunity for such grave violations. The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) embodies the international community’s rejection of nuclear testing and its recognition of the catastrophic risks that nuclear explosions entail. Yet it would be a clear hypocrisy and double standard to condemn nuclear testing while turning a blind eye to actions that carry similar consequences. Moreover, these attacks strike at the very heart of the NPT, which rests on a delicate balance: non-nuclear-weapon States agree never to pursue nuclear weapons in exchange for two fundamental guarantees—the right to develop peaceful nuclear energy without discrimination, and the commitment of nuclear-weapon States to pursue disarmament. By targeting safeguarded nuclear facilities, the perpetrators not only violate the inalienable rights of a sovereign State under Article IV, but also undermine the credibility of the NPT and the trust that underpins the Treaty. If peaceful nuclear facilities can no longer be considered safe from threat or use of force, what meaning remains in the guarantees the Treaty promises? Preserving the peaceful use of nuclear energy, protecting all nuclear facilities from threat or use of force, and advancing the total elimination of nuclear weapons are not separate objectives, they are interdependent and mutually reinforcing. By recommitting to these principles today, we affirm that the painful lessons of the past will not be forgotten and that humanity remains steadfast in its pursuit of a world free from nuclear weapons. The victims of nuclear tests remind us of the high cost of indifference. To remain silent now, in the face of new threats that risk repeating history in another form, would be to betray their memory. On this day, we must stand resolutely against all nuclear dangers—whether through tests, threats, or attacks—and work tirelessly for a world in which nuclear energy serves only the advancement and dignity of humanity, never its destruction. I thank you, Mr. President.