13 June | Statement by the International Peace Bureau (IPB)
The International Peace Bureau strongly condemns today’s large-scale Israeli military assault on Iranian territory. This operation, which reportedly struck nuclear enrichment sites—including Natanz—ballistic missile facilities, and military leadership compounds, marks a dangerous escalation in an already volatile region.
Civilian infrastructure has also been impacted, with casualties reported in residential areas. Iran has responded by launching a wave of drone strikes and has withdrawn from planned diplomatic talks on its nuclear programme. These events mark a critical deterioration of regional stability and significantly heighten the risk of a broader war.
This attack comes at a time when Iran is not currently assessed by international watchdogs, including the IAEA, to be pursuing nuclear weapons, though recent IAEA findings highlight a growth in Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile However, actions like these dangerously empower voices that argue nuclear deterrence is necessary for national survival. In that way, the strike may perversely encourage proliferation rather than prevent it.
Israel, widely believed to possess approximately 90 nuclear warheads, remains the only nuclear-armed state in the region. Its continued refusal to acknowledge its arsenal or engage in nuclear disarmament efforts stands in stark contrast to global non-proliferation goals.
IPB warns that targeting nuclear facilities—regardless of intent—carries catastrophic risks, both from direct damage and from the precedent it sets. Attacks on nuclear infrastructure undermine international norms and endanger the very safeguards designed to prevent nuclear catastrophe.
This moment must not become a tipping point.
IPB calls for:
- An immediate halt to all offensive military operations.
- The resumption of diplomatic talks addressing Iran’s nuclear activities.
- Renewed international commitment to a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction.
- The urgent need for all states—including Israel and Iran—to join and implement the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).
We urge the international community to reject further militarization, uphold international law, and invest in a diplomatic path that promotes disarmament, human security, and enduring peace.