World in most dangerous nuclear era in decades, UN chief warns

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has issued a stark warning that humanity is facing its most perilous nuclear era in decades. His urgent appeal follows the recent US and Israeli strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, reigniting concerns over the risks of military action involving nuclear powers. Guterres emphasized the catastrophic consequences of nuclear warfare, recalling the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives in 1945.

Reflecting on the 81st anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing, Guterres questioned whether the world has learned the lessons of that devastating event. He urged humanity to choose a path of peace or risk continuing under the shadow of nuclear annihilation. The UN chief argued that decades of peace efforts, nuclear arms control agreements, and the gradual reduction of nuclear stockpiles have failed to alleviate the current dangers.

Since the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Guterres noted that the global nuclear threat has resurfaced. He highlighted a worrying trend of escalating military spending and renewed reliance on nuclear deterrence. The International Atomic Energy Agency reported that Iran remains the only non-nuclear-weapon state party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty producing highly enriched uranium, raising proliferation concerns.

Guterres called on governments, particularly those with nuclear arsenals, to abandon the flawed notion that nuclear weapons guarantee security, emphasizing that they pose an existential threat to humanity instead.