Statement by H.E. Mr. Ali BAHREINI before The Plenary meeting of the Conference on Disarmament on the Situation in Latin America and the Caribbean

Geneva 2 September 2025

 Statement

 By

  H.E. Mr. Ali BAHREINI

Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva

 Before

 The Plenary meeting of the Conference on Disarmament

On the Situation in Latin America and the Caribbean

Geneva, 2 September 2025

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بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم 

Thank you, Madam President,

As this is the first time my delegation takes the floor, I wish to begin by congratulating you on assuming the Presidency of the Conference on Disarmament, the sole multilateral negotiating forum on disarmament.

We also extend our appreciation to you, your team, and the Secretariat for preparing the draft report of the Conference to the United Nations General Assembly. Please be assured of my delegation’s full cooperation and support in fulfilling your mandate to secure the adoption of a comprehensive and balanced report that duly reflects the activities of the Conference.

Furthermore, we hope that with the timely adoption of the reports of the subsidiary bodies, the Conference will be able to reflect in its report the substantive discussions that have taken place this year within the framework of the five established subsidiary bodies.

Madam President,

The Islamic Republic of Iran expresses its grave concern over the intensifying situation in Latin America and the Caribbean, which poses an unprecedented threat to regional and international peace and security.

After years of illegal sanctions and the imposition of various forms of Unilateral Coercive Measures (UCMs) against the Government and people of Venezuela, as well as attempts at so-called “regime change” and even assassination attempts against its legitimate officials, it is deeply regrettable that the United States has now resorted to openly threatening the use of force against the political independence and territorial integrity of Venezuela through the deployment of its naval fleet and a nuclear-powered submarine.

The Islamic Republic of Iran unequivocally condemns these hostile and provocative acts, which constitute a flagrant violation of the most fundamental principles of international law, including Article 2(4) of the Charter of the United Nations. These actions also breach Article 2(3) of the Charter on the peaceful settlement of disputes and Article 2(7) regarding the principle of non-intervention in the internal affairs of States.

The very purpose of the Charter and the establishment of the United Nations was to ensure that law and international norms, not force or the policy of force, govern relations among States. Yet, as demonstrated by the recent attack on Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities, carried out by the United States in concert with the Israeli regime while indirect talks were still ongoing, the US has shown no genuine belief in, or commitment to, diplomacy or the peaceful resolution of disputes.

Madam President,

The Islamic Republic of Iran condemns, in the strongest terms, the deployment of warships, a missile cruiser, and a fast-attack nuclear submarine in the Latin American and Caribbean region, which clearly constitutes a threat of the use of force and a violation of the political independence of Venezuela. Threatening a non-nuclear-weapon State Party to the NPT, through the deployment of a nuclear submarine by the United States—a permanent member of the Security Council and a depositary of the NPT—is a serious threat to international and regional peace and security, and a grave blow to the disarmament and non-proliferation regime.

This reckless act further contravenes the Treaty of Tlatelolco on the denuclearization of Latin America and the Caribbean, to which the United States is a signatory to Protocol II.

The Islamic Republic of Iran is closely following the recent alarming developments in the Latin American and Caribbean region, which, as a result of the hostile and destructive policies of the United States, have reached a highly concerning stage. We urge the international community, before these tensions escalate into a full-scale conflict, to compel the United States to withdraw its military deployments from the Caribbean, to respect the political independence and territorial integrity of Venezuela, and to adhere to the peaceful settlement of disputes in full conformity with international law and the Charter of the United Nations.

Madam President,

These developments, and the provocative conduct of a nuclear-weapon State against a non-nuclear-weapon State, highlight the grave risks posed by the possible use of nuclear weapons. They remind us—as affirmed in SSOD-I—that the only credible guarantee against the use of such weapons is their complete, verifiable, and irreversible elimination. Pending the achievement of this objective, the provision of unconditional and legally binding assurances of non-use and non-threat of use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon States remains an absolute necessity.

Thank you, Madam President.

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