VIENNA — The International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) has condemned Israel’s recent military strikes on Iran, warning that further escalation could lead to catastrophic consequences and derail efforts to prevent nuclear proliferation in the region.
“There is no military solution to the growing risk of nuclear proliferation,” the group said in a statement issued Friday. “The only reliable path to security is through diplomacy and the irreversible elimination of nuclear weapons.”
The group called for an immediate ceasefire and urged all parties, especially Iran and Israel to recommit to diplomatic channels under existing international frameworks, including the 1970 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).
The strikes, launched just days after U.S. and Israeli officials warned Tehran against continuing its nuclear development, have drawn widespread concern from arms control advocates. IPPNW, a Nobel Peace Prize-winning coalition of medical professionals, accused Israel of undermining global non-proliferation efforts.
“Iran is not currently assessed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) or the U.S. government to have an active nuclear weapons program,” the statement said. “This attack by a nuclear-armed state undermines ongoing U.S.-led diplomatic efforts.”
Israel’s Role and Regional Disarmament
IPPNW also criticized Israel for refusing to join nuclear disarmament efforts, noting it remains the only country in the Middle East known to possess nuclear weapons. The group called on Israel to support the creation of a Middle East Weapons of Mass Destruction Free Zone.
“Israel must take concrete steps toward disarmament,” IPPNW said, adding that the region’s long-term security depends on mutual denuclearization and international oversight.
The group urged both Israel and Iran to sign the TPNW, a 2017 treaty that has already been endorsed by nearly 100 nations.
Global Powers Also Blamed
While much of the focus remained on the immediate fallout from the Israeli strikes, IPPNW also placed blame on the five declared nuclear powers, the United States, Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom for weakening the international non-proliferation regime.
“Not only have they failed to honor their disarmament obligations under the NPT, but they are making massive investments in new nuclear weapons and capabilities,” the statement said.
The group singled out the United States’ 2018 withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), as a “major contributing failure” that helped bring the region to its current brink.
Catastrophic Risks
IPPNW reiterated the existential risks of nuclear warfare, warning that any detonation over a major city could result in mass casualties, collapse of healthcare systems, and widespread famine.
“Humanity is already closer to nuclear war than at any point since the Cold War,” the organization said. “We cannot survive the addition of another nuclear-armed state.”
The group’s final appeal was to world leaders: resume diplomacy, restore treaties, and reject war as a tool of nuclear policy.
