Iran’s delegation made the remarks at the 67th Session of Working Group B of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) in Vienna on August 25.
The full statement of Iran’s delegation is as follows:
Mr. Chairman,
Executive Secretary,
Distinguished Delegates,
I would like to begin by expressing my sincere appreciation to H.E. Dr. Erlan Batyrbekov, Chairperson of the Working Group B, and to Dr. Robert Floyd, Executive Secretary, for his opening remarks.
My delegation associates itself with the statement delivered by the G77 and China. I will also make a few remarks in my national capacity.
Mr. Chairman,
The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) constitutes a fundamental pillar of the nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation architecture. By establishing a comprehensive and legally binding prohibition on all nuclear test explosions, the Treaty imposes a critical constraint on the development and modernization of nuclear weapons. The Treaty must therefore be strengthened as an essential disarmament instrument towards the realization of a world free of nuclear weapons.
The persistent lack of sustained and concrete progress towards fulfilling disarmament commitments, including those in Article VI of the NPT, has resulted in a profound imbalance between disarmament and non-proliferation obligations. It should be emphasized that non-proliferation cannot be pursued in isolation from disarmament.
The continued delay in bringing the Treaty into force, decades after its adoption, must not become normalized, nor should the absence of entry into force be exploited to diminish the Treaty’s legal and political authority. Particular responsibility rests with Nuclear-Weapon States whose policies and actions have a decisive impact on the credibility of the CTBT.
The CTBT must therefore be preserved and advanced in accordance with its fundamental disarmament purpose and must not be selectively interpreted as a non-proliferation instrument. It should be fully recognized and strengthened as a vital instrument towards the total elimination of nuclear weapons and the achievement of general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control.
Mr. Chairman,
My delegation strongly condemns the recent announcement by the US president, instructing the preparation for nuclear weapons testing. This dangerous and reckless statement, constitutes a direct and serious threat to international peace and security and demonstrates a blatant disregard to the CTBT, the UN Charter, and the global non-proliferation regime. Iran calls upon the international community to unequivocally reject this stance.
While no nuclear test has taken place in practice, such a direction, coming from a State possessing one of the world’s largest nuclear arsenals, carries consequences that extend well beyond the statement itself.
The international community should not wait for an actual nuclear explosion before responding to developments that could undermine the global nuclear testing norm.
Mr. Chairman,
The Israeli regime’s possession of nuclear weapons remains one of the most serious and persistent challenges to the credibility of the global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime. Of particular concern is its continued refusal to accede to the NPT and to ratify the CTBT, which enabled this regime to prevent the transparency, safeguards, verification, and disarmament obligations in these instruments.
The international community must therefore address this issue as an integral part of any effort to strengthen the global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation architecture.
Additionally, my delegation condemns in the strongest terms the repeated acts of aggression by the United States and the Israeli regime against the Islamic Republic of Iran in 2025 and 2026. These unlawful attacks have resulted in the killing of numerous Iranian civilians including 168 schoolchildren in Minab City, they were only 4 to 7 years old. They had dreams for their future, but the United States stole their future through this horrific crime. Iranians will never forget and forgive these crimes and will pursue justice for those who ordered and committed these inhumane acts.
Their acts are not only acts of State terrorism and crimes against humanity, but also a grave threat to the integrity of the global non-proliferation regime. The Islamic Republic of Iran's nuclear facilities are fully safeguarded and intended exclusively for peaceful purposes under the NPT. Any military action against them, and any assault on our civilian population, is unacceptable and must be met with the unified condemnation of the international community.
Mr. Chairman,
While recognizing the liquidity crisis, my delegation underscores the importance of sustained capacity-building activities, specialized training, and the appropriate sharing of knowledge and technology to support all States Signatories, particularly developing countries, in strengthening their ability to participate effectively in the Treaty’s verification regime.
In this regard, we request continued efforts to ensure adequate, predictable, and sustainable resources for capacity-building activities. Such activities contribute to addressing existing technical gaps, enhancing national capacities, and facilitating broader access to verification-related knowledge, data, and expertise.
In this regard, my delegation welcomes the organization of the IFE26 in Namibia and consider it an important step towards enhancing the practical and operational knowledge of technical experts. Iran will participate at the high-level visit segment of this exercise.
My delegation also firmly believes that exclusion, imbalance, and unequal representation within the PTS undermine its legitimacy, inclusiveness, and effectiveness. In this regard, Iran emphasizes the importance of fully respecting and implementing the principle of equitable geographical representation across the structures and decision-making bodies of the PTS.
Mr. Chairman,
In conclusion, my delegation reiterates its principled position that the PTS should operate strictly within its provisional mandate and should not function as though the Treaty has already entered into force. Its activities, priorities, resource allocation and institutional development should therefore remain consistent with the provisional nature of the Organization.
Finally, the Islamic Republic of Iran reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the objectives of the CTBT and stands ready to engage constructively with all States Signatories in advancing those objectives.
Thank you. Mr. Chairman